Two teams have clinched playoff spots and a third has taken a big step towards one.
The Mid City Magic and City Rise Bombers continued their dominant men’s club basketball seasons on Saturday, claiming the wins to ensure they will feature once again come semifinal time.
A dominant Magic remained unbeaten with a 108-64 win over the Andy Bay Falcons, moving to a perfect 10-0 at the completion of the league’s second round.
The Bombers joined them earlier in the afternoon, a 75-64 win over the Mid City Lions taking them to 8-2, with their only two losses having come in close encounters against the Magic.
At this stage, it would appear a two-horse race, with the Magic favourites.
If anyone is to disrupt that, it will likely be the St Kilda Saints, who escaped with a late-comeback 83-79 win over Varsity.
It took them to 5-5, providing a three-game buffer over the fifth-placed students with five games to play.
Certainly, it has not been a vintage season from the perennially strong Saints.
However, they have shown they are capable of coming from behind and have been in the fight in games against both the Magic and Bombers.
Point guard Mike Ruske’s availability is key to that, his influence clear in a 34-point display in just his third game of the season.
They needed all of those, as well as former league MVP Lawson Morris-Whyte’s inside presence down the stretch.
Varsity led 40-23 five minutes into the second quarter as guard Jack Hollingworth (33 points) carried the students on a rampage, which included a period of dominance when he went on a 10-0 run himself.
Ruske began to haul the Saints back, primarily in the mid-range and at the line, and got them to within one at 54-53 in the third quarter.
But Varsity hung tough and led 73-68 with five minutes to play.
Ruske finished through contact to start a run, before Morris-White (15 points) finished inside and completed a three-point play to tie the score.
A further two free throws from Ruske gave the Saints their first lead, before Morris-Whyte finished inside again to make the buffer four.
It was a lead the Saints held to the end, and mirrored the last meeting of the two teams, in which the Saints also escaped late.
Crucially it leaves Varsity on two wins, which could have easily been four — potentially even more.
They chase the Lions, who have four wins to their name, for the final playoff spot.
The Lions were undone with a third quarter barrage from the Bombers on Saturday, in an otherwise tight game.
City Rise went on a 16-1 run to blow the game open and run out winners, Patrick Tipene leading the way with 28 points.
In the late game Dallas Hartmann had 29 points as the Magic dominated from start to finish against the Falcons.
