THE Albury-Wodonga Bandits held off a fast finishing Geelong Supercats to claim their third SEABL title, 84-78.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The final five-point margin mirrored that of the Bandits’ semi-final win over the Supercats, but it could have been more thanks to a dominant third quarter performance from Clay McMath.
The former Townsville big man put a wobbly first quarter behind him to reel in a game high 21-points, which included five shots from outside the line.
His influence was such that throughout the third quarter and early in the final term the home side threatened to inflict a painful drubbing on the Cats, leading by as much as 18-points early in the last quarter.
But as they have a number of times when holding a sizeable lead, the Bandits allowed Geelong to get back into the game, giving them a 14-point run, before the visitors leveled with 90 seconds to play.
As they have done all year though, the Bandits hit back when it looked like they were out for the count.
Donte Nicholas gave the home side a two-point lead from the free-throw line, before a steal from Deba George set the Bandits up for a four point lead, which he then extended to six with free throws.
Kimani Barrett and Nick Owusu stood up to the pressure when their turn came at the line, cutting the margin to just two points, before plays from Matt de Koeyer, Clay McMath and Cory Dixon whipped the home crowd into a frenzy.
The Lauren Jackson Sports Centre erupted at the final siren, as coach Brad Chalmers secured the second SEABL conference win of his four-year tenure.
The victorious Bandits were riding high after their fairytale victory.
“I have no words,” Deba George said after the game.
“It feels amazing, I can't explain it.
“I'm just glad I was part of it.
“We're not done yet though, we've got one more game to go.”
Nothing was stopping MVP Cory Dixon from savouring the win.
“This is what we came here for,” Dixon said.
“Nobody expected Albury-Wodonga to win a championship, the team hadn't been in the playoffs for two years.
“This feels good. It feels really good.”
McMath had support on the scoreboard from Deba George (20 points), while Nicholas and Dixon both hauled in double-doubles.
Kimani Barrett was best for the visitors with 20 points and 12 rebounds, with Ash Cannan (15 points) providing a lively supporting act.
The Bandits will travel to Dandenong next Saturday, where they will face Mt Gambier for the SEABL championship.
The Pioneers registered a healthy 14-point win over the Bendigo Braves to advance to the all-conference final.