BASKETBALL

CBL

BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT

 

THE stage is set.

Two Latrobe Valley teams will be playing off in this year’s Country Basketball League grand finals with a chance to crowned champions.

After claiming top spot on the ladder in the final round of the regular season, Moe gained all the momentum heading into the Gippsland semi-finals.

Playing at Latrobe Leisure Newborough, the Meteors rode past Maffra with relative ease, 100 to 82, moving into its second championship decider in the past three years.

Despite the score reading a one-way affair, the game still didn’t play out as simple as that.

The Eagles got out to a quick five-point lead to begin proceedings, with Phoenix Cox (son of former Hawthorn player and Heyfield’s Adrian Cox) swishing in a three-pointer to open well for the visitors.

The home side swiftly responded, and even more so went ahead, after Rohan Demczuk had a hot passage of play where he nailed long-range three, and on the next possession, snuck his way through the lane with some handy footwork and finished with a step back midrange shot dropping in.

A chippy contest consisted of no easy baskets from either side, especially in the paint, which also resulted in some early free throw shooting and eventual foul trouble, especially for Maffra.

Moe managed to create a gap by the end of the first quarter, with star player Austin Shelley scoring the 14 of the final 17 points for the term, as the Meteors went into the break ahead 27-21.

As play returned, the opening stretch of the second quarter displayed worrying signs for the Eagles, as they had to call a timeout just over a minute into the term after allowing Moe veteran Jayden Van Dyk to score eight quick points, including two threes.

Maffra returned, responding profoundly with a 10 point unanswered run, bringing the deficit back down to four.

Meteors big man Stephen O’Brien stretched the floor with a triple to break their cold streak, and additional drives from Josh Parkinson pushed the lead back out to double digits.

The main break arrived with Moe ahead, 48-38, which isn’t an insurmountable score line to come back from, but with the quarter they were about to deal, it proved difficult for Maffra.

A flat period opened the second half, with Shelley the only player from either side able to find the bottom of the net in the first two minutes.

Shortly after, with Maffra feeling they were getting the short end of the stick with the whistle, James Whelan was issued with a second technical foul, meaning he exited not only the court, but the stadium in its entirety.

Already down 15 points, now losing their star shooter, the Eagles were on the ropes and on the precipice of elimination.

On the other hand, Moe persevered by increasing its intensity in transition and getting easy, quick scores.

Maffra rotation big Owen Booth was handed two unsportsmanlike fouls, meaning he also had to leave the building, almost nailing the coffin shut on the Eagles’ season as the rest of the game played out at a distance.

Shelley was at his very best when it mattered most, scoring 36 points along with three triples, followed by Parkinson (19) and Van Dyk (16).

Cox gave his all for Maffra, finishing with 34 points and four three-pointers.

A much closer match was seen in the opposite bracket, with Pakenham passing Warragul in a grand final rematch by seven points.

Moe now play the side they bested in the final round of the season to leapfrog ahead of on the ladder.

The men’s grand final starts at 8pm this Saturday (December 13) at Cardinia Life Aquatic and Recreation Centre, Pakenham.

 

DESPITE only playing once in the previous three weeks, in which they suffered their first loss of the season, Morwell made light work of Warragul in the women’s semi-final.

The Magic came out on top over the reigning champs, 73-59 at Latrobe Leisure Morwell on Saturday night.

After a poor start to the game, where the home side trailed by seven points at the end of the first quarter, Morwell responded emphatically with a 22-9 run to head into the main break with a six-point lead.

The Magic buckled down as play returned, ramping up their defensive pressure, forcing the Warriors to make turnovers and then scoring on the other end.

By the time of the final buzzer, Morwell had their largest lead of the game.

The Magic led strongly with three 20-point or more scorers, through Olivia Ouchirenko (22), Kayla Welsh (21) and Abbey Noblett (20).

Kailey Neave gave her all for Warragul, scoring a game-high 32 points.

Morwell will play Korumburra in the grand final after the Wildcats defeated Pakenham in the other semi-final by 18 points.

In a battle of first and second on the ladder, Korumburra was the only team to defeat the Magic during the season, coming a few weeks ago in a thriller by a single point.

The women’s grand final begins at 5.15pm on Saturday, also at Cardinia Life.