The win moves Falcons A into the fourth and final playoff spot with five rounds remaining. They also has a deferred game against Otago Boys' High School to catch up.
Down 67-52 early in the fourth quarter, Varsity quickly set about eroding the deficit. Rens Meerhoff (27 points) sparked a 14-6 run with a reverse layup to cut the Falcons' lead to 72-66 with three minutes remaining.
However, Chris Hood and Stephen Askew-Ives each landed a pair of baskets and the Falcons stiffened defensively to slam the door shut on the Varsity rally.
Hood top-scored for the Falcons with 26 points and was well supported by Matt Bazsika (18 points) and Askew-Ives (14).
While Hood gave Varsity fits with both his inside and outside game, it was Askew-Ives who impressed down the stretch. He made the most of some rare minutes and drilled almost every shot he jacked up.
Whenever Varsity looked like making a run in the second half, it was Askew-Ives who calmly found the basket with a bunch of layups and jumpers.
Ultimately, the size of Bazsika, Hood and Tim Coudret was too much to handle for the undersized students. The permanent loss of Campbell Arnott and Adam Dunstan did not help, either. Both have left Dunedin after completing their studies.
However, reinforcements are coming with the Nuggets' season ending at the weekend. Both Olly Smith and Sam King will be back to help the students make an unlikely run for a playoff spot.
Before the Falcons blew out to a 65-52 lead at three quarter time, the game was a lot tighter. The lead changed hands a whopping 15 times in the first half as both teams turned the ball over and struggled to find their groove.
Varsity was guilty of turning the ball over five times in the first three minutes and finished the game with 16 turnovers. The Falcons were even more careless with the ball, finishing the game with 20 turnovers.
Despite the lofty turnover count, the Falcons turned around a one point first quarter deficit to lead 39-36 at halftime.
It was the decisive third quarter where the game was won for the Falcons, as they outscored Varsity 26-16.
Emerson Watson (24 points) was brilliant for the students. He and Meerhoff combined for 51 of Varsity's 70 points and consistently tested the Falcons with shifty drives to the hoop.
In the other game, Magic A (3-7) kept its playoff hopes alive with a shock 79-70 win over the previously unbeaten Bombers (9-1).
Last year's champion outscored the Bombers 46-31 in the second half to finish off the Bombers' remarkable nine-match winning streak.
Ben Dick finished with a game-high 21 points for the Magic and got crucial help from Darcy Knox (16 points) and Fergus Bevin-McCrimmon (13). The game between the St Kilda Saints and Otago Boys' High School was deferred.
By Robert van Royen.
