The Nunawading Spectres have stormed back into the winner\u2019s circle, grinding out a gutsy Friday night escape in Hobart before backing it up with a wire-to-wire win over North West Tasmania, sweeping their Apple Isle double and bringing momentum home to The Graveyard for a massive GEBC Cup clash this Saturday night against cross-town rivals, Ringwood.<\/p>\n
They don\u2019t come much tighter than a one-point thriller on the road\u2014but that\u2019s exactly what Nunawading delivered, silencing a hostile Hobart crowd in the final moments as Jack Gandolfo iced a game-winning and-one to lift the Spectres to an 88\u201387 victory.<\/p>\n
With Hobart snapping at their heels and the game hanging in the balance, Gandolfo drove hard, absorbed the contact, and finished\u2014then calmly sank the bonus to put the Spectres up for good with just over 30 seconds on the clock. It capped a scintillating 30-point performance from the Nunawading floor general, who went 6-of-13 from beyond the arc and proved unstoppable all night long.<\/p>\n
BJ Mack II (22 points, 8 rebounds) provided the power, while Cam Cranston (11 points, 8 boards, 2 blocks) brought the hustle at both ends. Daniel Baxter added 10 boards of his own and locked down defensively in crunch time. The Spectres built a double-digit third-quarter buffer but had to weather a Hobart storm, with Chargers big man Ole Angerstein and Jacob Richards threatening to steal it late.<\/p>\n
But as it has so often in the past, Nunawading\u2019s poise shone through under pressure\u2014making the plays when they mattered most to steal one on the road.<\/p>\n
Less than 24 hours later, the Spectres made it two from two, putting on a defensive clinic and outmuscling the North West Tasmania Thunder, 84\u201371, at Elphin Sports Stadium.<\/p>\n
This time it was the early onslaught that stunned the hosts\u2014Nunawading burst out of the gates with a 29\u201313 opening term and never looked back.<\/p>\n
BJ Mack II again starred with 22 points, while Christian D\u2019Angelo delivered his best performance of the season with 19 points, 7 boards, and 3 steals, showing off his length and touch at both ends. Gandolfo added 14 points on controlled aggression, and Baxter continued his all-around impact with 9 points, 11 rebounds and key defensive stops.<\/p>\n
Joe Mutimer added a spark off the bench and hit timely shots to keep the Thunder at bay as the Spectres\u2019 depth again proved crucial.<\/p>\n
Now sitting at 5\u20134 and back above .500, the Spectres return home with wind in their sails\u2014and a fierce rival waiting in the wings.<\/p>\n
This Saturday night at The Graveyard, it\u2019s the second leg of the GEBC Cup against the Ringwood Hawks\u2014a battle for local pride, ladder position, and silverware all in one. The opening leg went Nunawading\u2019s way. Now, with momentum, unity and the home crowd behind them, the Spectres have a chance to keep the Cup right where it belongs.<\/p>\n
Be there. Be loud. Be part of it. The Graveyard awaits.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"