IF the Wodonga Lady Wolves had written a script for Saturday night’s grand final, then the performance went off without a hitch.
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The perennial CBL grand finalists broke through for their second grand final win in their last seven attempts with a 61-45 win over the Bendigo Lady Braves.
The win was something of an upset, with the Lady Braves having had the better of the home side on their two previous encounters this season.
But the final 16-point margin showed why the Lady Wolves have found themselves at the pointy end of the season so many times before, their combination of youth and experience far too good for the visitors.
Amy McIntosh dropped a game-high 17-points for the Lady Wolves, while Charlotte Brancatisano (13) was best for Bendigo.
Perimeter shooting was a feature of the Lady Wolves game, with McIntosh and Tenille Collins nailing three shots each from international waters.
Longtime Wolves players Rachel Jeffrey and Sarah Mellington (7 points each) and Steph Gorman and Julia Clarke (6 each) combined for a potent mix of youth and experience which kept the Lady Braves defence guessing.
Five points from Breanna Green capped the scoring for the home side.
Conversely, the defence was airtight throughout the evening.
Bendigo only had one player score double figures for the night, and were never able to overcome the intensity of the Wodonga defence.
Jeffrey’s return to the side from injury proved to be one of the decisive factors, providing defensive hustle and physicality in her 100th game.
That defensive intensity didn’t give way to recklessness, with the Lady Wolves rarely finding themselves in foul trouble.
Coach Paul Green said the win was just reward for effort.
“The girls came to play tonight, there’s absolutely no doubt about that,” he said.
“Throughout the season we’ve had four or five shooting in double figures, whereas in previous seasons we might have had Rachel shooting 20 and not quite getting the support she needed.
“Myself and (assistant coach Mandy Buchanan) came up with a defensive set and the girls executed it perfectly.
“I was confident that if they showed up on the day that they would win, I think we’ve got a more talented group.
“It doesn’t always quite work out that way, but it did for us tonight.