SJC Grand Final 2010 - the first goal

SJC Grand Final 2010
Hills Hornets v Sutherland Sharks 
This was the fourth time we met Sutherland and to this point it was the most important – the Sydney Junior Championship grand final.

Both sides started a little roughly, missing some easy shots under the basket until Aaron played tough and forced up a shot in close against the Sharks big man. A passage of broken play gave us a second goal off a streaking Jay.

At the other end our defence tightened, with Addam poking the ball away from the Sharks big and all the boys swarming him when ever he got the ball close. The rule was to give no easy baskets which meant Sutherland's first point came from the free-throw line.

At the offensive end we crashed the boards and, with Addam, Arran and Will inside there were numerous mismatches to exploit. Wills tenacious rebounds gave him a great look and the lead blew out to 6-1.

It took a drive from Banksie with a mid range stop-and-pop to loop in the first field goal for the Sharks.

When Mark and Brane came on for Addam and Will our height advantage continued. With Mitch and Mark at the top of a trap defence the pressure was really on the Sharks just to bring the ball up. A couple of steals later and Brane was able to take a wide open shot from the free-throw line – nothing but net. He repeated the dose less than 30 seconds later.

Sutherland got back into the game with a deep two under pressure. But again the Hornets replies this time through Arran who sunk both from the free-throw line.

At the end of the first quarter we were up 12-5 and in control.

We started the second with some tight scrappy defence, epitomised by Thomas in a scramble on the ground for a loose ball, flicked out to Luke who made a long pass up court to a waiting Brane who unfortunately had one of his few misses in the game. Luke was in the game quickly again with a great block on a driving Shark.

The Sharks came at us again with drive along the baseline and a short pass to the big man for an easy lay-up. It was one of the few bright moments for the Sharks over the next two quarters.

A fast break from Mark was followed by a three-pointer from Brane, a beautiful reverse lay-up between two men by Jayden, another fast-break drive for Mark and then a great pass from Mitch right under the basket to a waiting Will.

It was one traffic from then on with the boys up 27-11 at the end of the second quarter and then, remarkably, 44-12 at the end of the third quarter when we the Sharks to just one point.

In the final quarter the Hornets eased off the pedal and finished with a 63-23 victory against a tough fighting Sutherland team who unfortunately suffered height mismatches at key positions.