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COUGARS’ season was on the line, with a win needed to have a chance to make finals in the MG Plasterers South East Coast Basketball League men’s competition.
They did just that on the back of an impressive effort from Tobi de Wit and Josh McGregor, who came out all guns blazing to combine for 59 points.
Dale Bachmann had his best SECBL scoring game for Roos with 37 points.
However, Roos could not match it with the high-scoring power of Cougars who put the game away early for a final 99-78 result.
Panthers and Cats fought out their match for top spot on the ladder, both with a 12-2 win/loss ration heading into the clash.
The two sides generally play free-flowing basketball, but the game quickly turned into a defensive tussle, as both sides worked hard to reduce the efficiency of their opponents.
Cat star Josh Murphy used his size to create space for his deadly mid-range game, while Brad Rathjen and Kyle Tipene found their range for the Panthers, connecting on 11 triples between them.
Panthers managed to hold on to their lead for a 69-59 victory and top spot going in to the first round of finals.
It was a must-win game for Bulldogs Red for any hope at a finals position, but it was the Bulldogs Blue wide which came away with the chocolates.
The game was tense early and tight right up to the half way mark.
Blue used their half-time break well and picked up their intensity in the third quarter, with the lead out to 12 points.
With their season on the line the Red side clawed its way back to trail by single digits going into the final term but their their offence dried up in the final stanza and Blue’s Simon Berkefeld got hot on his way to a game-high 28 points to put an end to Red’s season with an 80-60 win.
For the women, the Cats were playing to secure the all-important top spot against Cougars.
While Cougars took it right up to the top-placed Cats, even holding onto a one-point lead with seven minutes to play, the Cats were too strong in the end.
When Cougars’ Keryl Ousey fouled out the Cats made their move to claim a 10-point lead and put the game to rest.
Georgia Winter leading all scorers with 16 points and was well supported by Lucy Denton with 15.
For the Cougars the Horrigan sisters combined for 27 points.
The final game of the season for Bulldog/Roos provided a chance to showcase some of their emerging talent.
Siobhan Adams had her best SECBL scoring game with 19 points, including three three-pointers, while Sarah Nulty showed what she is capable of with 13 points.
However, they could not match the depth and experience of Saints, with Pioneers’ captain Jasmin Howe finding her spots and controlling the tempo of the game to ensure her team held on for a 66-52 victory.
