Championship basketball rarely gets tighter than this. In a heart-stopping finale at Logan Metro Sports Centre in Crestmead, Queensland, reigning champions, ISO, completed a remarkable season, edging out a determined Dom’s Garage, 79 – 78, in a SBC (Sunday Basketball Club) grand finals classic.
On Saturday 16 May, the tournament drew to a close with a game decided by a single point. It was an adrenaline-inducing showdown delivering everything fans could ask for. It was the perfect combination of intensity, momentum, clutch performance, defensive grit and stamina right up until the final buzzer.
For four quarters, neither was able to break free. While the breathing space of entertainment from Brisbane Bullets and raffle prizes in between gave fans some respite, the tension continued until the very end.
Dom’s Garage matched the defending champions’ possession for possession, repeatedly responding to every challenge and refusing to let the game slip away. Yet when the final seconds tickled down, it was ISO who once again demonstrated the composure and championship pedigree that have made them the benchmark of the competition.
The victory not only secured another title but preserved ISO’s undefeated record.
Other major honours reflected the depth of the talent across the league, among others:
SBC Season 5 Most Valuable Player – Branden Pallier
All Star MVP – Bency “Juicy” Punzalan
SBC Season 5 Finals MVP – Jericho “J-Lao”Sunglao
SBC Season 5 Best Defensive Player Of The Season – Aeziah Marcos
SBC Season 5 Coach of the Season – Marvin Joaquin
Allstar Game Winners – Red Team
2nd Runner Up: Dahlia Migration
1st Runner Up: Dom’s Garage
Beyond the awards and final score, the grand finals showcased something bigger than basketball. Families, friends, community leaders (including beloved Mayor Jon Raven and Division 5 Councillor Paul Jackson), sponsors, and supporters packed the home of Basketball Queensland in recognition of the role sport play in bringing people together.
The atmosphere felt less like a local competition amongst Filipinos but of a thriving Filipino-Australian community built on competition, camaraderie, and shared pride.
For Dom’s Garage, the one-point defeat undoubtedly stung yet their performance earned enormous respect, pushing an undefeated champion to the limit and proving they belong among the competition’s elite.
For ISO, however, a place in SBC HISTORY belongs to them.
