South Spotlight | Big Sunday Tigers win over Miners

Featured image: @xnp_photography

The Melbourne Tigers lit it up with 34 points in the third quarter to set up their eventual 96-75 win at home on Sunday in the NBL1 South against the Ballarat Miners.

Just to see a team coached by Andrew Gaze and the other by Ray Borner was worth the price admission alone at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre on Sunday afternoon for the Round 2 NBL1 South match up.

Both teams came into the match up having split their opening two games of the season with the Tigers turning a four-point lead after one into a 10-point half-time edge.

>> SOUTH SPOTLIGHT | DEEP RAIDERS OVERCOME FROLING HOT START

>> SOUTH SPOTLIGHT | BROWN LEADS SABRES TO THUMPING WIN

>> SOUTH SPOTLIGHT | WILDCATS JUST KEEP HAWKS WINLESS

>> SOUTH SPOTLIGHT | DEEP SPECTRES OVERPOWER HAWKS

>> SOUTH WRAP | MEN'S ROUND 1 (EASTER)

Melbourne then blew the game apart in the third quarter with 34 points to 13 on the way to winning by 21 on the back of attempting 15 extra shots than the Miners while forcing the visitors into 21 turnovers from which they scored 15 points from.

George Blagojevic continues to fit in seamlessly with the Tigers in 2026 and top-scored once more with 20 points, 11 rebounds and two assists in just 21 minutes.

Jack Purchase added 14 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and four blocks, reigning MVP Tom Wilson 13 points, seven assists and five steals, Michael Wearne 13 points and three assists, and Kai Garnaut nine points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks.

Lachlan Dent finished with 22 points, three assists, two rebounds and two steals with 8/9 free-throw shooting despite also having eight turnovers and going just 6/15 from the field.

Jaden Campbell contributed 21 points and eight rebounds for the Miners with Riley Nicolson adding nine points and two rebounds, Bol Bak nine points, eight boards and three assists, Brooklyn Bruton seven points and Cearius Warren four points, 10 rebounds and two blocks.

The Tigers were playing host to the Miners for Sunday afternoon basketball but neither team found much of an offensive groove in the first quarter with just the 32 combined points on 12/33 shooting.

The Tigers did end up narrowly leading by quarter-time 18-14 on the back of getting up three extra shot attempts with zero turnovers and capitalising on the four cough ups from Ballarat while George Blagojevic and Jack Purchase combined for 12 of their 18 points.

Melbourne did manage to complete a 14-0 run into the second quarter and opened up a 12-point lead to go into half-time leading 44-34 with Lachlan Dent was doing his best to keep Ballarat in touch with 11 points despite four of his team's 11 turnovers in the opening half as well.

The Tigers then blew the game open for good in the third quarter with 34 points to 13 on the back of hitting 10/16 from the field while holding Ballarat to going 4/12 with another five turnovers as well.

The Miners did finish well with 28 points to 18 in the final period but it didn’t stop the Tigers romping still to the 21-point victory to improve to 2-1 as they look to back up last year's Grand Final appearance.

The Tigers now prepare for a Grand Final rematch away to the Sandringham Sabres on Thursday night while the Miners make the trip to Mount Gambier to play the Pioneers on Friday before returning home to host the Eltham Wildcats on Saturday.

NBL1 SOUTH 2026 SEASON | MENTAL HEALTH ROUND

MELBOURNE TIGERS 96 (Blagojevic 20, Purchase 14, Wearne 13, Wilson 13)

BALLARAT MINERS 75 (Dent 22, Campbell 21, Nicolson 9, Bak 9)