South Spotlight | Falcons heat up top four battle

Featured image: Mitchell Barlow

Sophia Locandro scored 22 points with four triples and Maddi Utti had another double double for the Waverley Falcons to take advantage of the Sandringham Sabres missing some key players for the 95-61 NBL1 South win.

The Sabres were home at Southern Basketball Stadium and still on top despite the absence of Steph Reid, Madi Ryan and Maddie Angus with Waverley arriving having won their last couple and needing to keep doing that to try and finish as high up as they can.

Waverley got on top early to be leading by eight points at quarter-time and then continuing to build on that with the lead getting out to 16 points in the second frame, 27 in the third and 34 in the fourth.

That 34-point margin was where it finished with the Falcons improving to an 11-7 record with three consecutive wins with Sabres now 14-4 following the defeat.

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It was a strong all-round performance from Waverley against the shorthanded Sandringham with 49 per cent shooting 35 along with going 13/32 from deep to 4/17 along with collecting 15 offensive rebounds and forcing the Sabres into 16 turnovers.

The win improves the top four prospects for Waverley with Sophia Locandro top scoring with 22 points and six rebounds with 4/6 shooting from downtown.

Katelyn Shumate also had 17 points, three assists and two rebounds for the Falcons, Liana Kinkela 13 points and two boards, Maddi Utti 10 points, 14 rebounds, two assists and two steals, and Georgia Pineau 10 points, three boards and two blocked shots.

The Sabres battled hard in the absence of Steph Reid, Madi Ryan and Maddie Angus with Lucy Cochrane top scoring with 16 points, 13 rebounds and three assists.

Funda Nakkasoglu also had 11 points and three assists, Isis Lopes 10 points, six assists, four rebounds and two steals, Josie Agnew eight points and four assists, and the returning Klara Wischer seven points, seven rebounds and two steals.

Sandringham were attempting to retain top spot but it was going to be a big challenge with their players missing and with Waverley a dangerous opponent, and the Falcons started strongly with 25 points to 17 in the first quarter with Katelyn Shumate scoring 10 points.

That lead for the Falcons blew out to 16 points in the second term and they were leading 39-25 by half-time while going 6/16 from beyond the arc to 1/7 with Maddi Utti already having six points and 11 rebounds for Waverley.

The Falcons continued that momentum with another 29 points to 21 in the third period on the back of shooting 12/20 from the field with Sophia Locandro scoring another 10 points.

That saw Waverley leading 68-46 by three quarter-time and then having another 27 points to 15 in the last quarter on shooting 9/16 from the floor to the 6/13 from the Sabres on the way to the 34-point win to keep them in the mix for a top four finish.

The Sabres back up on the road to the Eltham Wildcats now on Saturday night while the Falcons play host to the Frankston Blues on Sunday afternoon.

NBL1 SOUTH 2026 SEASON | FIRST NATIONS ROUND

SANDRINGHAM SABRES 61 (Cochrane 16, Nakkasoglu 11, Lopes 10)

WAVERLEY FALCONS 95 (Locandro 22, Shumate 17, Kinkela 13)