Spectres Fall Short in Physical Battle

The Nunawading Spectres men’s team came up short in a hard-fought contest against the Casey Cavaliers on Saturday night, going down 94-83 in front of a strong home crowd at The Graveyard.

Missing key personnel in both the front and backcourt, the Spectres were always going to be tested against the Cavaliers. The absence of imposing big man Nic Tata (knee) and rising star Tristan Devers - who suffered a fractured arm in Wednesday night’s win over Ringwood - left significant gaps on both ends of the floor.

Despite the setbacks, Nunawading showed flashes of quality, led once again by the outstanding form of import BJ Mack II. The versatile forward continued his strong offensive stretch, proving a consistent scoring option and drawing plenty of defensive attention.

Also making a serious impression was Christian D’Angelo, who continues to announce himself as one of the breakout performers of the NBL1 South season. Elevated to the starting lineup, D'Angelo delivered another standout performance, finishing with 27 points. The young guard is averaging a career-best 22.75 points per game across the opening four rounds - a clear sign of his growing confidence and leadership on the floor.

The Spectres traded blows with Casey for much of the night, but a few costly lapses and second-chance opportunities for the visitors ultimately proved decisive.

With the Easter break now in sight, the Spectres have an opportunity to reset and get healthy ahead of a huge ANZAC Round double-header.

They’ll take on the Melbourne Tigers on the road, Thursday 24 April, before returning home to The Graveyard on Friday 25 April to face cross-town rivals, the Eltham Wildcats.