Sabres put Gaze's title dream to sword in Final

• Sandringham dominates Melbourne with outstanding shooting performance
• Koppens records huge double-double with 26 points and 15 rebounds
• Machar's efficient 28-point night leads Sabres to victory
• Get Bounce Pass: How to watch every single 2025 NBL1 game live and free

Sandringham Sabres put Australian basketball legend Andrew Gaze's dream of the NBL1 South Men's title to the sword, outscoring the Melbourne Tigers by 30 in the second half to win the Grand Final 99-80 at the State Basketball Centre in Melbourne on Saturday, August 16, 2025.

Tom Koppens powered Sandringham with a 26-point, 15-rebound double-double.

Key Details

• Result: Sandringham 99 def. Melbourne 80 (Watch the Replay)
• When: 16th August 2025
• Where: State Basketball Centre, Melbourne

By the Numbers

• Tom Koppens (Sandringham) starred with 26 points, 15 rebounds, four assists, and one block in 36 minutes.
• Harrison Froling (Melbourne) scored 21 points, and had 15 rebounds, five assists, and one steal in 34 minutes.

What Happened

The championship game started with Melbourne edging Sandringham 23-20 in the opening quarter. Melbourne maintained their advantage in the second period, outscoring the Sabres 23-15 to build a commanding 46-35 halftime lead.

Sandringham came out of the break with renewed energy, exploding for 33 points in the third quarter while limiting Melbourne to just 19. This dramatic turnaround flipped the script, giving the Sabres a 68-65 lead heading into the final frame.

The fourth quarter belonged entirely to Sandringham as they dominated Melbourne 31-15, pulling away for a decisive 19-point victory. Malith Machar was exceptional during this stretch, connecting on several crucial three-pointers that helped extend the Sabres' lead.

Koppens delivered an outstanding championship performance, shooting an efficient 7-from-9 from the field (77.8%), including 2-from-3 from beyond the arc. He was nearly perfect from the free-throw line, making 10-from-12 attempts while collecting four offensive rebounds.

Machar added 28 points on 10-from-17 shooting, including an impressive 5-from-10 from three-point range. Ben Ayre contributed 17 points and narrowly missed a triple-double with 11 rebounds and eight assists in 37 minutes of action.

Melbourne struggled from the field throughout the game, shooting just 34.2% (27-from-79) compared to Sandringham's 47.2% (34-from-72). The difference was particularly stark from three-point range, where Sandringham connected on 38.7% (12-from-31) while Melbourne managed only 22.2% (8-from-36).

The rebounding battle was won decisively by Sandringham (54-39), with their 11 offensive boards creating valuable second-chance opportunities. Despite Melbourne's clean play with just five turnovers to Sandringham's 13, they couldn't overcome their poor shooting performance.

Froling led Melbourne with 21 points and 15 rebounds, while Jack Purchase added 20 points and eight rebounds. Thomas Wilson contributed 17 points, four rebounds and six assists, but their efforts weren't enough to counter Sandringham's balanced attack and dominance on the glass.