The St Laurence Geelong Supercats will host the Crazy John’s South East Australian Basketball League South Conference Grand Final after a stunning 11 point win over minor premiers Nunawading at Nunawading on Saturday night.

The first quarter set the tone for the match as neither side would give an inch. Seb Loader started at the centre for the Supercats but with his opponent Chris Cameron seemingly untouchable, Loader clocked up three soft fouls in just over three minutes of play and had to be substituted out. With only a point in it either way for most of the quarter, Nathan Herbert had the hot hand landing three 3 pointers for the term. Shane McDonald and Maalo Hicks were also shooting well for the home side. The Supercats led by a single point at quarter time.

The second quarter continued basket for basket until Hicks fouled J’Nathan Bullock in the act of attempting a three pointer. The “Red Bull” made no mistake with his three free throws to open up the lead to four points. Jamie Medved’s three consolidated the lead and a little later on Herbert’s three opened the margin out to 6 points the biggest of the match. Nunawading came back to give Geelong a four point margin at the half. A loose elbow caught Herbert a minute before the half opening up a cut above his left eye.

Isma’il Muhammad was well held to just three points total in the first half. Nunawading’s apparent strategy to limit the Geelong star’s scoring ability was working, however, the act of double and sometimes triple teaming Muhammad was opening up other players including Herbert who had 18 for the half.

Loader started the third quarter for Geelong but it seems he could not breathe on Chris Cameron clocking up his last two fouls in quick succession to leave the game after just over 2 minutes of play. It was up to Daniel George to step in and the Supercats big man was back in the peak of his form and rose to the challenge. Bullock and Braith Cox also came to the party, with the defensive pressure still on Muhammad and now Herbert as well, Bullock, Cox and George had scoring opportunities open up all over. The Supercats capitalised with the lead opening to a game high 13 points before Nunawading corrected and went on a 12 to 2 scoring run to recover back to a 2 point margin at the last break. Blood on Herbert’s singlet from the earlier eye injury saw him switch into the unfamiliar number 50 singlet midway through the quarter.

The momentum stayed with Nunawading at the start of the last quarter as they went seven-nil to lead by 5 points before Bullock’s three swung the pendulum back towards Geelong. A pair of threes from Captain Cox wrested the lead back and the Supercats would not be headed from that point on. Medved’s third three pointer of the night was exactly what Geelong needed at the right time as he joined Cox, George and Bullock building the margin back out to double figures. The small but vocal Geelong supporter group among the 400 strong crowd rose to their feet in the last five minutes to cheer, chant and sing the team home to an eleven point win.

Bullock chose the right night to have his best ever score for the Supercats with 30 points and 5 rebounds. Herbert was well held in the second half and finished with 20 points while Cox and George had 13 points each.

The win means that the St Laurence Geelong Supercats have now earned the right to host the Crazy John’s SEABL South conference Grand Final at The Arena on Saturday August 21. The match will be against the winner of next weekend’s preliminary final between Nunawading and the Hobart who won the elimination Semi-final over Sandringham.

Over in the East Conference, Bendigo surprised minor premiers Kilsyth and will host that Grand Final against the winner of Kilsyth and Knox, the latter having knocked out Brisbane in the other semi. The SEABL South and East Champions will play each other on August 28 at MSAC for the overall SEABL crown.

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