UBL FINALS RECAP
It is to everyone’s disappointment that the UBL season has come to an end for both the Men’s and Women’s teams. After dominating in the Quarterfinals, both teams fell in the Semi-Finals.
Quarter-Finals –
Women:
The Women’s team only just snuck into finals in eighth place, meaning they had to face off against the first-placed Latrobe University. Not only were they first place, but they were also undefeated throughout the regular season. The University of Melbourne was a clear underdog, having won only three games across the season, but you wouldn’t have thought it if you watched this game.
From the get-go, the Winged Victory showed no signs of fear; they came out of the gates full of confidence. The ball moved through hands swiftly, and shots dropped like never before. Kayla Salmons had a hot start, knocking a trademark three-ball from the top, before dominating inside, making …. Of the Latrobe bigs. As the game continued, it was a three-point shooting frenzy, led by Captain Lara Essex, who had five threes in the first half. She was quickly joined by the likes of Layla Prince and Ruby Nicks. Latrobe had no answers, and as the commentators were losing their minds, the Winged Victory never looked back, taking out the win by 37 points, with every player getting on the scoreboard. It was an emphatic win and one for the books.
Men:
After finishing top of the ladder in the regular season, the University of Melbourne men were feeling confident heading into the finals. First up, they were set to face the University of Western Australia, a team they had played only a few weeks prior. While it was expected that they would win, after seeing what happened in the women’s game, they didn’t want to leave anything to chance.

It was a dominant start from the Winged Victory, putting up a 30-point first quarter, a lead that UWA could not get back. Wilson Amos finished with an impressive 27 points on 71% shooting. Winning every quarter bar the fourth, the home side were having their way. Alek Bandilovski was everywhere, a persistent pest for the travelling team. UWA’s Riley Eves fought valiantly, playing 38 minutes; he was his team’s leader in all stat categories. While it wasn’t a pretty watch by the end, UWA finished on a high, winning the fourth 21-9.
Semi-Finals –
Men:
In what was a game for the ages, unfortunately, the University of Melbourne fell to the University of Tasmania in an overtime thriller. Having beaten the islanders earlier in the season, the Winged Victory had reserved the right to play a home final, and the University of Melbourne showed up! Fresh court, hundreds of fans turned up, creating a loud atmosphere at Nona Lee!
Most had named the University of Melbourne to take out the whole competition, marking the second time in UBL history. However, the game was never going to be easy; the likes of Jack Stanwix and his teammates weren’t going down without a fight. And a fight is what we got, the Winged Victory were playing off the back foot from the beginning, as UTAS came out firing. Anton Stratov provided a huge spark for the home side, using his strength to find a way to the hoop.

While the game plan was obviously to restrict Stanwix, teammates Jordan Stratsma and Archie Stuart were happy to step up. Both teams took turns winning quarters, and it was clear that the final term would be a big one. While the home side went on a run, it seemed as if they would get over the line, but Stanwix had other ideas. Going on a late run of his own, Stanwix showed just how good he is; even the Winged Victory fans had to applaud his performance, not only in the fourth but in overtime as well. While Alek Bandilovski and Dihan tried with all their might, both were sent to the bench after fouling off. It was the one that got away —a five-point loss and a heartbreaking end to what was otherwise an amazing season.
Women:
The last time these two teams played, it was a close game, but both outfits were missing some key players. This time, the University of Melbourne girls travelled to the University of the Sunshine Coast with a complete roster and full of confidence after their dominant QF win. Their opponents not only had the home court advantage but were now armed with the three-time NBL1 North Defensive Player of the Year, Erin Bollman. She leads the UBL in scoring assists and steals for the season, a stat line that was clear from her Semi-Final performance.
The game started relatively close, Layla Prince led, followed by some hot shooting from Ruby Nicks, but Erin Bollman and Bella Heath were hot on their tails. Jess Freeman provided a spark in her limited minutes, but the Sunshine Coast still found a way to take control. Georgia Berry was crucial for the home side; her work rate and presence down low meant the Winged Victory had to pay attention. At times, it felt as if Bollman and Prince were going like-for-like, but the scoring dried up for the away team, and Prince couldn’t do it all alone.

Lara Essex only had one three-point shot attempt for the game, and it was nowhere near the shooting performance of the week before. Bannon was strong off the bench, but no defence could stop Bollman, who was just one assist short of a triple-double and four steals away from a quadruple-double. While there were moments of brilliance from the Winged Victory, it wasn’t consistent across the four quarters, and despite a late comeback, the Sunshine Coast ran away with it, ending the University of Melbourne’s season by 15 points.