South Wrap | Women's Round 15

Featured image: Rachel Louise - Rachel Louise Photography @rachellouisephotographyau

Maddy Rocci closed NBL1 South regular season with a monster triple double for Keilor Thunder with Lil Dart hitting eight triples in one of two Eltham Wildcats wins, Paige Burrows went 6/6 for Knox Raiders, and then Rachel Antoniadou had a farewell to remember for Nunawading Spectres.

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FRIDAY

Sandringham Sabres (86) defeated Northern Force (73)

The Sandringham Sabres stopped their losing slide at four by closing the regular season with the 86-73 home win against the Northern Force to end up finishing in fifth position.

The Sabres were back home at Southern Basketball Stadium and needing to get back to the winner's list in their last regular season game with the Force starting their double on the toad to close 2026.

Sandringham had a dominant start going on a 16-0 run in the first period to go on to lead 32-8 by quarter-time before adding 24 points to 20 in the second period to go into half-time leading 56-28.

That lead then grew to as much as 38 points in the second half for Sandringham before the Force had a huge finish with 23 straight points but the gap was too much and the Sabres held on to win by 13.

The Sabres finish the regular season at 15-7 in fifth position with Funda Nakkasoglu finishing with 22 points and two assists with 3/5 shooting from the outside.

Isis Lopes added 15 points, seven assists, six rebounds and five steals, Lucy Cochrane 14 points, 12 boards, five assists, four blocks and two steals, Ella Ongarato nine points, five rebounds and two steals, Sierra Woodhouse eight points, and Lili Long seven points, 10 rebounds and two assists.

The Force are now 9-12 with a game to go on Saturday away to the Casey Cavaliers with Rebekka Kalaydjiev delivering 23 points, 11 assists, five steals and two rebounds.

Parker Hill also had 17 points and 10 rebounds, Gemma McCoy 10 points and two steals, Sarah O'Neill nine points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals, and Josie Pinkerton six points, nine boards, two assists and two steals.

Bendigo Braves (58) lost to Keilor Thunder (112)

Keilor Thunder locked in their top four finish with the top four finish with their emphatic 112-58 road win over the Bendigo Braves to close their regular season.

It was the last game of the season for Keilor when they took on the out of contention Bendigo at Red Energy Arena and it was a dominant start from the visitors.

Keilor went on a 19-0 scoring run in the first quarter to be leading 36-6 already by quarter-time before adding another 27 to 16 in the second frame to go into half-time leading 63-22.

That lead continued to grow for the Thunder in the second half getting out to 45 points at three quarter-time and then 54 by the final buzzer to see them end the regular season at 15-7 and ultimately in fourth position.

Maddy Rocci had a monster performance with 31 points, 14 assists, 11 rebounds and five steals for an incredible triple double with 13/20 field goal shooting and 4/7 from the outside.

Issie Bourne also had 16 points and five rebounds, Lara McSpadden 14 points, seven boards, five assists and two steals, Tess Heal 13 points, eight assists, six rebounds and 3/5 three-point shooting, and Macey Boyle 11 points, four boards and two assists.

Bendigo are now 6-15 with a game to go on Saturday away to the Kilsyth Cobras with Hannah Hank producing 24 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Ahlise Hurst added 17 points with 4/9 three-point shooting, and Jess Smith 14 points and four rebounds.

Eltham Wildcats (93) defeated Kilsyth Cobras (83)

It was a wild game of two halves but the Eltham Wildcats did enough to secure the 93-83 win over the Kilsyth Cobras to stay solid in second position to open the last round of the regular season.

The Wildcats entered the last round of the regular season a game clear in second position ahead of hosting the out of contention Cobras at Montmorency Secondary College.

Eltham then took control with 30 points to nine in the second quarter to go into half-time leading 47-23 on the back of shooting 48 per cent from the field to 29 and forcing Kilsyth into 12 turnovers.

Even though the Wildcats still secured the eventual 10-point win, the Cobras outscored them 60 points to 46 in the second half on shooting 21/40 to the 14/31 from the home team.

Eltham still improve to the 16-5 record to stay in second place while Kilsyth have lost their past couple to be 7-14 with both teams having one game to go in the regular season.

The Wildcats remain solid in second spot with the win with Sara-Rose Smith delivering 16 points, eight rebounds and three assists with Lil Dart adding 16 points, five assists and four boards.

Mackenzie Smith also had 14 points, three assists and two rebounds, Bec Pizzey 10 points and four boards, Jayde Cadee nine points and three rebounds, and Sarah Elsworthy nine points, eight boards, five assists and five steals.

It's the second last game of the season for Kilsyth but they will take heart from the second half with Emme Shearer producing 26 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks with 5/11 shooting from the outside.

Georgia McBean also had 14 points, five assists and three rebounds, Nikita Young 13 points, five boards and two assists, Catelyn Van Es 11 points, nine rebounds and three assists, and Kylie Horstmeyer 10 points and three boards.

Knox Raiders (78) defeated Hobart Chargers (59)

The defending champion Knox Raiders secured the regular season crown for 2026 with the 78-59 home victory against the Hobart Chargers.

Coming off winning both the NBL1 South and Nationals Championships in 2026, Knox have now put themselves in a prime position to go back-to-back coming into the last game on Friday night on a 12-game winning streak ahead of hosting the Chargers having lost six straight.

Knox started well with 24 points to 15 in the first quarter before another 22 to 17 in the second to go into the half-time interval on top 46-32.

The Raiders remained in control with another 26 points to 11 in the third quarter and the lead got out to as much as 29 before Hobart did at least finish with 16 points to six in the last term.

Knox still won by 19 points to finish on top at 18-4 with a 13-game winning streak with Paige Burrows putting up 24 points and three assists with 6/6 shooting from the outside.

Rachel Bell added 15 points, four rebounds and three assists, Paige Bradley 12 points, seven assists and three boards, and Alicia Froling 12 points, 12 rebounds and two assists.

Hobart are now 6-15 having lost eight in-a-row with one game to go also on the road to Geelong United with Sharna Thompson finishing with 15 points and three rebounds.

Tyia Singleton added 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, Tishara Morehouse 11 points, 11 boards and nine assists, and Chloe Broomhall nine points, nine rebounds and two assists.

SATURDAY

Geelong United (68) defeated Hobart Chargers (60)

All five Geelong United starters scored in double figures as they closed their season beating the Hobart Chargers 68-60.

The finals prospects were over for both teams ahead of their last game of the season at The Geelong Arena with United looking for consecutive victories and the Chargers to avoid a seventh straight defeat.

It hadn’t been the season Geelong hoped after going undefeated in 2025 until the Grand Final but they did start well with 15 points in-a-row in the first quarter and were still leading 22-16 by quarter-time.

It was then another 21 points to 11 in the second term to see Geelong leading 43-27 by half-time and then remaining in control through the second half to secure the eventual six-point win.

That sees Geelong end the season with a 7-15 record winning their last two games with Dakota Crichton putting up 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists.

Jordan Vasquez added 14 points, 15 rebounds and four assists, Reagan Bass 11 points, 12 boards and two assists, Indi Bowyer 10 points, four assists and four steals, and Aleks Connolly 10 points and an assist.

Hobart finish off in 16th position at 6-16 with the seven straight defeats with Sharna Thompson delivering 28 points, three rebounds and three steals with 6/17 shooting from the outside.

Chloe Broomhall added 12 points and 15 rebounds, Tishara Morehouse 10 points, five assists, four steals and four boards, and Tyia Singleton seven points, 11 rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

Waverley Falcons (93) defeated Ringwood Hawks (62)

The Waverley Falcons made it five straight wins to close the regular season and locked away third position with eh 93-62 win over the Ringwood Hawks.

The Falcons were back home at Waverley Basketball Centre for the last game of the regular season with them on a four-game winning run up against a Hawks team anchored to bottom spot already.

Waverley had the narrow 20-16 lead by quarter-time before taking control in the second frame with 33 points to 19 on the way to leading 53-35 by half-time.

The Falcons took further charge from there to end up leading by 23 points in the third frame and 33 in the fourth before securing the 31-point win to finish the season with a 15-7 record with the five consecutive wins and in third position.

Liana Kinkela top scored for Waverley with 30 points, five rebound and two assists with 14/16 shooting from the floor.

Katelyn Shumate also had 11 points and nine rebounds, Georgia Pineau 11 points and five boards, Tayla Dalton 10 points and four assists, Amy O'Hara nine points and two rebounds, and Hannah Rapp 11 boards and two blocked shots.

Ringwood end their season losing the past four matches in bottom spot at 3-19 with Honey Kaur putting up 24 points, 10 rebounds and three assists with 4/7 three-point shooting.

Taylor Mole added 16 points and three rebounds, and Aneta Bandilovska seven points, six assists and three boards.

Melbourne Tigers (72) lost to Eltham Wildcats (79)

Both teams were locked into a finals position and the Eltham Wildcats got 30 points and eight three-pointers from Lil Dart on the way to the 79-72 win over the Melbourne Tigers.

The Tigers were back home at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre trying to finish up as high as they could while the Wildcats had already locked away a top two finish the previous night beating the Kilsyth Cobras.

It was 17 points apiece in the first quarter with another 16 each in the second term with Eltham firing back from a nine-point deficit to have scores all level at 33-33 by half-time.

The Wildcats then made their move in the third frame with 30 points to 16 to build a 17-opint lead and then from there go on to win by seven and end the regular season at 17-2 in second position.

Lil Dart had a night to remember for Eltham with 30 points, five rebounds and two steals with 8/12 shooting from the outside.

Mackenzie Smith also had 13 points and three rebounds, Bec Pizzey nine points, 16 boards, three assists and two blocked shots, and Sarah Elsworthy nine points, two rebounds and two assists.

The Tigers end up in eighth place at 13-9 with Yang Shuyu top scoring once more with 18 points, five assists, four steals and two rebounds with 4/8 shooting from the outside.

Eve Braslis added 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals, Isa Brancatisano 11 points, eight assists, four boards and four steals, and Rachel Brewster seven points and two steals.

Kilsyth Cobras (112) defeated Bendigo Braves (98)

Neither team could make the finals but put on an entertaining show to close the season with the Kilsyth Cobras ending up with the 112-98 home victory against the Bendigo Braves.

The Cobras were back home at Kilsyth Sports Centre to close their regular season up against a Braves team who have battled hard but been able to be at full strength at any point.

It was a high scoring start from the opening with 55 points between them in the first quarter with Kilsyth leading 29-26 at quarter-time and then that was up to 69 in the second term.

That saw the Cobras hit 39 of those to be leading 68-56 by half-time and then from there end up leading by 17 in the second half to end up scoring the season-ending 14-point victory.

Kilsyth end the season in 14th position at 8-14 with Emme Shearer finishing with 25 points, five assists and four rebounds on 4/7 three-point shooting.

Meg Newman added 17 points, 11 boards and three assists, Georgia McBean 17 points and six assists, and then Nikita Young 18 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and six steals.

Bendigo end up 17th at 6-16 with Jess Smith having a monster performance with 43 points, nine rebounds and three assists on 9/14 three-point shooting.

Ahlise Hurst also had 21 points, four assists and four steals with 6/11 shooting from the outside, and Hannah Hank 21 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.

Nunawading Spectres (105) defeated Ballarat Miners (73)

The Nunawading Spectres finished their rollercoaster of a season on a high note beating the finals bound Ballarat Miners 105-73with Rachel Antoniadou heading into retirement in style with 32 points and five three-pointers.

The Spectres were at home to close their season at Nunawading Basketball Centre unable to still reach the top 10 but the Miners were locked in having won three of their past five matches.

Not only was it the last game of the season for Nunawading, but the last game in the career of Antoniadou and also for head coach Paul Flynn.

Ballarat still managed to start the better with an early eight-point lead and still to be leading 26-25 by quarter-time before Nunawading worked on top with a 12-0 run in the second term to be on top 53-47 by half-time.

Nunawading then finished with a dominant second half with 25 points to 17 in the third quarter, and 27 to nine in the last on the way to the 32-point victory to celebrate the career of Antoniadou and coaching tenure of Flynn in style.

The Spectres end their season in 12th position at 9-13 having started winning their first four matches with Antoniadou starring as she now heads into the retirement with 32 points and seven assists with 5/13 shooting from the outside.

Riley Lupfer also knocked down 7/15 from beyond the arc for 28 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals, Tsz Kwan Li 12 points, three boards, three assists and three steals, and Keeley Frawley 11 points, 11 rebounds and three assists.

The Miners still finish in 10th position at 12-10 and now will take on the Diamond Valley Eagles in an elimination final on the road this Saturday night.

Camille Hobby ended up with 20 points and seven rebounds for Ballarat, Abbey Wehrung 17 points, three rebounds and two assists, and Malia Fisher 11 points, 13 boards and seven assists.

Casey Cavaliers (67) lost to Northern Force (85)

The Casey Cavaliers will enter the finals with consecutive defeats after the Northern Force ended their first season in the league on a winning note with the 85-67 victory.

The Force arrived at Casey Stadium having lost their past four matches including the previous night to start their road double against the Sandringham Sabres while Casey were also coming off a 32-point loss to the Dandenong Rangers.

The Cavs still had a chance to finish in the top four with a win but it was the Force who started on fire with 30 points to 14 in the first quarter.

Casey did manage to hit back in the second to but the Northern lead to 47-37 and it was still a 10-point margin by three quarter-time before the Force pulled away once more to end their season with the 18-point road win.

That means the Force end their season in 13th place at 9-13 with Parker Hill delivering 22 points, 19 rebounds, seven assists and two steals with 9/13 field goal shooting.

Rebekka Kalaydjiev also had 20 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists, Sarah O'Neill 16 points, five assists and four board, and Hope Brooks nine points, three rebound and three steals.

The Cavaliers end up in sixth spot at 14-8 and will take on the Waverley Falcons in a qualifying final in two weeks' time.

Nya Lok top scored for Casey with 24 points with six rebounds and three assists while Chelsea D'Angelo contributed 14 points and four assists, Mica Nightingale 11 points and four rebounds, and Sharne Robati nine points, 13 boards and seven assists.

Frankston Blues (81) lost to Mount Gambier Pioneers (101)

The Mount Gambier Pioneers geared up for the finals by beating the Frankston Blues 101-81 on the road with six players scoring in double figures.

The Blues were ending their season at home at Jubilee Park Stadium crying out for the end after losing 13 straight matches while Pioneers were looking for some momentum to take into the post-season.

Frankston did get off to a good start with 28 points to 24 in the first quarter but Mount Gambier responded with 28 to 19 in the second term to take a narrow 52-47 lead into half-time.

The Pioneers then took control in the third quarter with 27 points to nine including a remarkable 25-0 scoring run to lead by that margin, and then end up securing the 20-point victory.

Mount Gambier end the season in nine position at 12-10 with Kelsey Rees top scoring with 21 points, eight rebound and two steals with Abby Prohaska adding 18 points, four boards, four assists and two steals.

Tilly Boler also had 14 points, Lara Edmanson 14 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals, Eva Langton 12 points, five assists and four steals, and Gracie Champion 12 points and two assists.

Frankston end the year on a 14-game losing streak at 5-17 with Megan Mullings delivering 22 points, six rebounds and two steals while Tori Jackson added 15 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals, and Sophie Alexander 15 points, five boards and five assists.

Emma Nankervis also had 10 points, four rebounds and three assists, and Courtney Wilkins 10 points, five boards and two assists.

Diamond Valley Eagles (83) lost to Dandenong Rangers (100)

The Dandenong Rangers put up 67 points in the first half to be leading by 30 by the break and went on to win 100-83 but it wasn’t quite enough to break into the top 10 as they knocked the Diamond Valley Eagles from third to seventh.

Coming into the last night of the regular season and it was a big game for both teams at Diamond Valley Sports and Fitness Centre with the Eagles needing a win to stay in the top four and the Rangers in a must-win situation to be any hope of making the top 10.

Dandenong still needed other results to go their way and had to not only win but to hope the Mount Gambier Pioneers lost on the road to the Frankston Blues at the same time to be any hope.

But the Rangers did bring impressive form into the match up having won five of their last seven including last week's 32-point win against the Casey Cavaliers.

Dandenong started on fire with a 9-0 run in the first quarter to be leading 30-21 already by quarter-time and it was then an even more blistering second quarter from the Rangers with 37 points to 16 on the back of scoring 13 consecutive points.

Even though Diamond Valley did their best to fight back into the contest through the second half and did have 26 points to 16 in the third quarter and 20 to 17 in the fourth, the Rangers still cruised to the 17-point victory.

What the result means is that Dandenong end up with an 11-11 record but it's not enough to reach the playoffs after the Pioneers to beat the Frankston Blues to get to 12 wins and clinch that top 10 position instead.

Diamond Valley still will play finals but it's a big result for them to finish at 14-8 and after starting the round in third position, they end up slipping all the way down to seventh.

Manny Puoch delivered 23 points, nine rebounds and four assists in the big season-ending win for the Rangers with 5/9 shooting from the outside.

Adrianna Smith also had 22 points, five rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks while hitting all three long-range attempts with Imogen Rock adding 17 points, seven boards, seven assists and two steals.

It wasn’t quite the way the Eagles wanted to be entering the finals after last year's preliminary final appearance with Alex Sharp finishing with 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Erin Riley added 15 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals, Shannon Dufficy 12 points and nine boards, Abbey Ellis 12 points and four assists, and Isis Beh 10 points, three rebounds and two steals.