TOM HAYES
BASKETBALL
CBL By TOM HAYES IT’S Grand Final week, as teams competed in the Country Basketball League Gippsland Division Semi Finals over the weekend. For the Men’s, there were two comfortable Semi Final victories, which creates an enticing Grand Final. First up, Traralgon T-Birds hosted Warragul Warriors on Saturday night; only one of last season’s Grand Finalists would make it to the big dance. The last time these sides faced, Warragul forced the T-Birds’ only loss of the 2022 season, taking the lead in the final term to win by five points. This time around, Traralgon righted its wrongs to make its way to the Grand Final. Big performances from Ben Barlow (33 points), Frazar Brouns (24 points) and Christian D’Ángelo (23 points) were enough to almost outscore the entire Warriors side. The T-Birds marched to the Grand Final, winners by 14 points: 99-85, hoping to go back-to-back this weekend. Traralgon had to wait until the following day to find out who it would face in the Grand Final. Like the first Semi Final, the encounter between Maffra Eagles and Moe Meteors was a Grand Final rematch of sorts, as these sides battled it out in the 2020 Grand Final, but this time it was second versus third, when Maffra hosted Moe. Maffra blitzed Moe in the opening term, outscoring them by nine points, which grew in the second, as Maffra took a 13-point lead into the half. Moe dragged the deficit back to just seven points heading into the last quarter, but like the first term, Maffra gripped the match by the throat to blow the lead back out to 17 points. The Eagles were led by Sam Whelan, who scored 35 points including three three-pointers in his 100th game for the club. Headed for its second Grand Final in three years, Maffra and Traralgon will both enter with just one loss each all season. In the Women’s, both Semi-Finals were decided on Saturday, setting up another intriguing Grand Final this weekend. Top-of-the-ladder Moe Meteors took on fourth-placed Maffra Eagles in the first Semi Final. Moe had only lost one game all season, winning nine games by an average of over 20 points, yet Maffra fought it until the very end. The Meteors took a four-point lead into the half, despite trailing by three points at the end of the first quarter. A gripping third quarter saw nothing between either team, both scoring 19 points a piece – the margin the same going into the final quarter. Maffra had the edge in the final term, outscoring Moe for the second quarter of the match. But it wasn’t by enough – as Maffra fell short by two points: 62-60, Moe getting revenge for the 2020 Grand Final defeat to Maffra. Caitlin Demczuk top scored for Moe with 19 points, including two three-pointers, Piper Albert and Brooke Hunter were the only others to reach double-digit point tallies. Shortly after, the second Semi Final took place when Korumburra Wildcats hosted Traralgon T-Birds. Like Moe, Korumburra had only lost one game all season, which was to Moe in Round 7. The T-Birds still had a decent record of eight wins and two losses, but were undeniably the underdogs in this encounter. It wasn’t much of a fight, as Korumburra seemingly won every quarter but the last to ease to victory by 27 points. The damage was done early in the fray, with the writing on the wall for Traralgon, as the Wildcats led by 30 points going into the last quarter. Traralgon took something positive away from the defeat, as Sammy Labros had the most points of anyone on the floor with 28. Korumburra were led by Chloe Hogg (22 points), Alahna Arnason (14 points), Krystal Arnason (12 points) and Gemma Dixon (10 points). Coming off a storming victory, Korumburra will face Moe in the Grand Final this weekend, and like the Men’s, both sides have only one loss all season.
