State Championships
Weekend one
Saturday, August 21
Our first game in round one was against the team that has taken it to us all year, Gosford. Both teams started nervously missing some early shots against some tough defence before Gosford scored on a drive and then a three-point play.
Tight defence stopped Gosford from getting away and we finished the first quarter behind 8-6. Gosford continued putting on the defensive pressure and for the first time in the whole season we failed to score a single point in a quarter but Gosford only score one. The arm wrestle continued with Hills taking the lead in the third quarter 16-14 but unfortunately we couldn't maintain the momentum, dropping the game 28-24. Had we nailed a few free-throws or a couple of decisions had gone or way the result could easily have been reversed.
We had a 7pm start against Coffs Harbour but it didn't slow the boys at all. This was one way traffic from the jump ball and we came away with a comfortable 96-12 win.
Sunday, August 22
We took advantage of our size early to make sure we didn't repeat Saturday's bad start. We jumped out early to an early 21-11 lead and kept it rolling right through the game winning 86-41.
All we had to do was to win the final game of the weekend to qualify for the next round at Illawarra.
Once again we were up against a Sydney team that we already knew, this time the Comets. The boys executed their offence crisply and maintained harrassing defence that had the Comets struggling. This was another clinical win, finishing with a score of 71-12 and the opportunity to move into the NSW State Finals where we were scheduled to meet the Sharks, Illawarra and yet again Gosford.
Weekend two
Saturday September 4
After the run of easy wins against everyone but Gosford the boys came into this first game against the Sharks with perhaps too much confidence. We should have known better after a fired up Sutherland gave us a cracker run in the regular season which we won after quite a tussle 58-43.
With the State Championships they came out firing and made us work hard with some great defence. In the first quarter we were up 8-4, then Sutherland closed it at the end of the second quarter to 16-13. Only in the third quarter did we start to feel a shift in the game, breaking away with some good use of multiple big men on the boards to be up 33-26 and then sealing it as we got away to a 46-35 victory.
If we thought that was tough, our second game of the first day was our old foes Gosford. This was a fascinating see-sawing competition. We started poorly and seemed to be working to Gosford's strengths until the third quarter.
Where the boys had focused on taking on their opposite number they suddenly started to look ahead, passing the ball up the court and casing break-downs in Gosford's defence. Where we had trailed we started to come back an in literally the last second of the game we were up 40-39.
A time-out from Gosford advanced the ball up the court and in a remarkable play, Gosford scored right on the buzzer winning 41-40.
It could have broken out hearts but instead it put more fire into the boys belly and also through their play in the third and fourth quarter they recognised how it was more important to look for each other for an early pass rather than taking on their opposite number. It would prove crucial in later matches.
Sunday, September 5
Today the boys had to play the two most important games of the season so far.
Whoever won the first game of the morning, Hills or Illawarra, was automatically in the grand final.
We started off immediately with a handicap. A broken shot-clock in the previous game meant that we started our game much later, so whoever won would be playing with far less rest than Gosford.
The Hornets leapt away to a great start this time around, scorching Illawarra on the inside in the first quarter 20-11. The second and third quarter were more of the same with the boys up 54-32.
At this point the coaches decided to rest the players they wanted to start against Gosford and the team began to relax. We should have known that Illawarra were not going to lie down with a shot at the State title on the line.
All of a sudden they were roaring back after some turnovers on part which they were quick to capitalise on. Suddenly the coaches looked a little concerned but we held on against the fast finishing Illawarra team to win 63-56 and line up for another game against Gosford.
You can read about that – in verse – above.
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