Late surge falls just short

THE Castec Rural Supplies Mount Gambier Pioneers Men season is over after a tough eight point loss to the Sandringham Sabres.

Leading into the clash, the potential match winning influence of Ben Ayre was front of mind and it proved a self-fulfilling prophecy, when after a quitter semi final, the Tasmanian JackJumper hit a game high 38 points to ensure the Sabres 2025 season remained alive.

The Sabres will now play the fairytale story of the season – the Melbourne Tigers – who sans regular coach Andre Gaze, who is on commentary duties at the Asia Cup, continued their dream run with a nail biting victory over the Knox Raiders, who finished the season top of the NBL1 South ladder and were considered the team to beat going into the play offs.

After a straight sets play off exit in 2024, the Pioneers were hopeful of earning a place in the title decider after starting their campaign with a 36 point demolition of Kilsyth but the Sabres proved the better side, ignoring the parochial Pioneers home crowd to hold their nerve, despite the home side coming at them in the last.

The Pioneers entered the clash on a seven game winning streak but the Sabres were also an in form line-up, recovering from a 0-6 start to the season with a run that saw them win 16 of their past 18 matches.

Mount Gambier started strongly at home to lead 28-20 by quarter-time having knocked down seven from 11 from three-point territory.

In that opening stanza, the Sabres were cold from beyond the arc but that all changed in the second and it was as if the two teams changed singlets as Sandringham hit their threes and the Pioneers could not buy a long range basket.

It saw the Sabres four points clear at the main break and then the visitors dominated the third quarter, putting up 30 points to head into the final quarter 18 points clear and with one foot in the title decider.

The Sabres went on a 14-0 scoring run and ended up leading by as many as 23 points with five minutes to go in the fourth quarter, but the Pioneers were not done with yet and went on an 11-0 run of their won to make it very much game on – the home crowd trying to play their role in the mammoth comeback as well.

Titus Robinson hit three triples, Alex Mudronja two and Kane de Wit another in the last five minutes but the closest the Pioneers could get by the final buzzer was eight points.

Ayre was a thorn in the Pioneers’ side with his 38 point haul, along with five rebounds and five assists with 11/18 shooting from the floor, 4/8 from downtown and 12/13 at the foul line.

Fabijan Krslovic also had 17 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks, Malith Machar 15 points on 6/11 shooting, playing-coach Dave Barlow nine points and four rebounds, and Dane Pineau four points and eight boards.

Robinson ended up top-scoring with 24 points on 6/8 three-point shooting with Mudronja adding 19 points and five boards on 3/5 shooting from downtown.

Akech Aliir (above right) also had 13 points, six rebounds and two steals, Joe Palmer seven points and seven boards, and Jack Haggett seven points on 3/3 shooting from the field.RESULTSSandringham Sabres 95 (Ayre 38, Krslovic 17, Machar 15) d Mount Gambier Pioneers 87 (Robinson 24, Mudronja 19. Aliir