Microgaming Cavaliers 49 – 32 Marvels
In the final game of the domestic season, Microgaming Cavaliers defeated the Marvels team in an offensively challenged Cup Final that never really lived up to its promise as both teams struggled to get any sort of rhythm. However, it was Cavs who opened the stronger, Phill Evans driving hard to the basket and deep range marksman Paul Kilic drilling shots from beyond the arc while Marvels, on the other hand, were sorely missing MVP candidate James Horton and found themselves only rewarded with a pair of Ben Campbell baskets for the first quarter. Cavs themselves had their offensive woes late in the quarter and both teams really couldn’t buy a basket which left the quarter score at a measly 12-4 to Cavs. The second started much better for Cavs as Sean Doyle and Dan Pieciak combined well to run in some easy scores but it got worse for Marvels as they didn’t register a made basket in the entire quarter, scoring just two points from free throws. Marvels weren’t playing poorly, they were executing their offensive sets and Ross Wilson and Campbell in particular found themselves in the right place, taking the right shot and just simply missing. The scoreline at the half wasn’t pretty for either team, but Cavs held the 29-6 lead and a blowout was on the cards. Marvels tried to make inroads in the third, Darren Cain driving hard to the basket, but another low scoring affair restricted them to just the one made basket from Wilson and a fistful of free throws to double their total for the game to 12. Defensively though, things were starting to look up as they switched to a zone and held the Cavs to single figures themselves but ending the third quarter facing a 38 – 12 deficit, the conclusion looked a formality as the fourth tipped off. What followed was a tantalising display of what the final could have been had both teams been able to click their offenses into gear for all four quarters, Marvels running riot on the fast break and creating turnovers and more importantly, points! Cain was the chief architect of this run, ably supported by Nik Cain and Wilson and they managed to blitz the unsuspecting Cavs into a 20-11 quarter score rout, but this wasn’t quite enough to overturn the lead. Marvels trudged off dejected as Cavs celebrated their League and Cup double, but should take great encouragement out of their fourth quarter and not lose sight of the achievement of reaching their first senior final. Cavs were obviously delighted to take the win and the trophy, but you do feel that we missed out on a potentially cracking Final because both teams had a bad day at the office.
Fellas 55 – 43 Sinners
The ladies cup final matchup between the young Fellas squad against a full and more experienced Sinners side could have been anyone's game. The Sinners started quick off the mark with Wendy Owens finding the inside easily. To their surprise Fellas found themselves 12-6 down after the first few minutes and started a full court press at the end of the first quarter. Sinners lost the ball in the back court twice on the bounce under the press, allowing Amber Carridge and Danielle Murphy two quick turnovers on the run. Sinners lead disappeared and it finished 12-10 to Sinners. Leanne Corlett and Sarah Corkish at the top for Sinners controlled the play in the second, allowing post Nikki Shimmin to maximise her presence in the key for some lovely baskets in the second quarter. The teams traded baskets with quickly answered points from Danielle Murphy and Amber Carridge on the run for Fellas, with great movement inside thwarting the zone defence of Sinners. By the half the teams had settled and Sinners within a point of Fellas could still taste the victory. Sinners used a patient offence to get the ball inside to Shimmin who was on form at both ends, and some nice shooting from Wendy Owen also racked up the points for Sinners. Unfortunately for Sinners in the final quarter the legs had gone, and the Fellas capitalised on their turnover and fast break offence. Another outstanding performance from the unassuming Murphy, assisted by Carridge scoring some impossibly fast lay ups, took Fellas to a well fought and played victory.
Photo courtesy of Craig Alexander Reid.
