South Spotlight | Cavs take charge in fourth

Featured image: Trent Moore Sports Photography

Sam Bowman finished with 18 points and 15 rebounds and the Casey Cavaliers came from five points down at three quarter-time to beat the Frankston Blues 75-69 at home on Saturday night.

The Cavs were playing their first home game at Casey Stadium for the season after splitting their opening two matches on the road with a win over the Dandenong Rangers and loss to the Knox Raiders.

Frankston arrived at Casey Stadium having won their first two matches of 2026 on their Tasmanian road double against the Northern Force and Hobart Chargers.

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And by three quarter-time, the Blues looked on track to make it three straight wins to start the season with Lou Brown having 21 points and with the visitors leading by six.

But Casey dominated the last quarter with 18 points to seven to turn that five-point deficit into the six-point victory on the back of 13 offensive rebounds to seven, and to end up taking 10 more shots in the game.

Sam Bowman put in a tireless effort and in just 28 minutes of court time she racked up 15 points, 18 rebounds, two assists and two blocks with the Cavaliers +9 with her out on the floor in a game they won by six.

Dallas Loughridge only had four second half points but still top-scored with 17 to go with four assists and two steals while Nyaduoth Lok delivered 16 points with 4/7 three-point shooting.

Sharne Robati also had 10 points, eight rebounds and two assists for Casey while they only got four points off the bench.

Lou Brown did all she could to continue Frankston's undefeated start to the season with another 25 points, seven rebounds and two assists on 11/20 shooting from the floor and 3/6 from behind the arc.

Emily Monaghan had 13 points in the first half for the Blues and finished with 16 with six rebounds and four assists while Pahlyss Hokianga contributed 10 points and four assists, and Tenaya Sooalo seven points with 2/2 from downtown.

Both teams came out ready to fire and combined for 58 points in the first quarter with Casey leading narrowly 31-27 by the end of it.

It was some hot shooting from both teams too with the Cavaliers going 67 per cent from the floor and the Blues 56, but the difference was Nyaduoth Lok and Dallas Loughridge combining for five three-pointers to help the home team to the narrow lead.

The scoring considerably dried up in the second quarter with just the combined 29 points and 19 of those were courtesy of Frankston as they went into half-time leading 46-41 with Emily Monaghan going into the break with 13 points to her name.

After Frankston went up as much as seven in the third quarter, Casey stuck with them and by three quarter-time it was the Blues clinging to the five-point advantage with Lou Brown having put up 21 points already.

It was then a dominant fourth quarter from Casey on their home floor with 18 points to seven and limiting the Blues to shooting 3/14 from the field and 0/4 from three-point territory in those final 10 minutes as they secured the six-point victory after being down five going into the last period.

The Cavaliers now don't play again until Friday night at home to the Ringwood Hawks while the Blues have a mid-week fixture on Wednesday away to the Eltham Wildcats.

NBL1 SOUTH 2026 SEASON | MENTAL HEALTH ROUND

CASEY CAVALIERS 75 (Loughridge 17, Lok 16, Bowman 15)

FRANKSTON BLUES 69 (Brown 25, Monaghan 16, Hokianga 10)