It was a Saturday night jam-packed with finals action as both our HoopCity NBL1 teams took the court looking to advance past their rivals in an elimination final. With everything on the line our teams gave it their all and fought through adversity with pride, check out how they faired below.
HOOPCITY NBL1 WOMEN
Our HoopCity NBL1 Women claimed 5th spot on the South ladder setting them up for a battle against the tall trees from Launceston. With star guard Aimie Rocci ruled out with a back injury it was always going to be a tough up-hill battle, with forwards Taylah Simmons and Eve Braslis suffering injuries in the final rounds of the regular season.
With thin front court depth, Sara Blicavs and Rebekah O’Donnell were tasked with stopping the trio of Tolo, Froling and Griffin. Starting the game out strong the Geelong women kept the game close with a hot start from Sarah Elsworthy who attacked the ring with force, while O’Donnell and Blicavs locked down defensively to stop the front court attack from the Tornadoes.
Entering the second term, Geelong saw themselves in a 4-point deficit as early foul trouble for Tolo and Froling didn’t see them exit the floor for a single second of action. Battling hard through the second quarter the Tornadoes made use of their offensive rebounding outscoring Geelong by 6 to extend their lead to 10.
A halftime rev up from Coach Paton sprung life into the Cats in the third as the 10-point deficit was wiped away to tie up the game 44 all just minutes into the quarter. The crowd was electric and created a turning point that looked like it would see Geelong hit the front, however, it was timely shots from Launceston guard Mariah Payne to quieten the crowd with back-to-back triples to extend the lead to 16 heading into the fourth.
A back and forth final 10 minutes saw the lead be cut and extended as Geelong battled to reduce the deficit in hopes of upsetting the Tornadoes.
While the team battled hard it was not meant to be in 2022 as they went down 65-77 in front of the home crowd. Sara Blicavs 25/12/1 and Sarah Elsworthy 17/1/3 battled hard for Geelong but unfortunately, the tall trio in Launceston were just too tough to overcome on the night.
Finishing the season with a 15-7 record, battling through injuries and absences, we are extremely proud of the Women for taking it to the league in what was a very successful regular season. With more fans than ever attending games and the team putting on a show every time they stepped on the court, we cannot wait to see them suit up in 2023 in what is shaping up to be another extremely exciting time for basketball in Geelong!
TOP PERFORMERS
Sara Blicavs 25 points 12 rebounds 1 assist 1 steal
Sarah Elsworthy 17 points 1 rebound 3 assists 2 steals
HOOPCITY NBL1 MEN
In the second game of the night, our NBL1 Men took to the highway looking to knock off the Frankston Blues in what was always going to be an uphill battle for a spot in the preliminary final.
Having already suffered losses of superstars Jack White (NBA) and George Blagojevic (injury) the team had seemingly found some form late in the season to put themselves in finals contention. Looking already thin at the forward and center position, it was an absolutely deflating sight when Matthew Johns and Owen Odigie were ruled out in round 16 due to injuries sustained in their final home game against Nunawading.
To top it off the Men also lost star guard and leading scorer Gabe Hadley to illness, ruled out just hours before the game was set to tip-off.
Despite this, the Men were still up for the challenge as they looked to upset the strong Frankston Blues.
The opening quarter saw the Men keep pace with the Blues through the first five minutes before the Frankston star power began to take over the game. Trailing by 11 through the first 10, the offence stagnated as the Blues put their foot down to take a 23-point lead into half-time.
Unphased by the task ahead of them, Geelong came out firing clawing back the deficit to just 15 with 10 to play behind some incredible shot-making from Matthew Johns, who suited up despite carrying a tough back injury.
With 10 to play the team had battled hard but unfortunately ran out of legs as the Blues poured in 25 points to take the game by 30, 87-57.
A season full of uphill battles, we would like to congratulate the Men on battling through extreme adversity to claim a 12-10 record and a finals appearance. While it was not the season or ending the team was hoping for, it has to be said that the team did the club and Geelong proud on pushing through every barrier put in front of them.
In what will be an off-season of reflection, we look forward to the team returning to the court in 2023 hungrier than ever to push for another finals campaign and a hopefully deeper push into the national final.
TOP PERFORMERS
Matthew Johns 15 points 7 rebounds 5 assists 3 steals 1 block
DeMarcus Gatlin 11 points 6 rebounds 2 assists
Jasper Cheney 12 points 1 rebound 2 steals
While the season may be over for our two NBL1 teams in 2022, we want to take this opportunity to thank the fans and supporters for making this the best year of Geelong basketball action in recent memory! With record crowds, streaming views and support, we could not have done it without you. The Geelong Arena was packed and pumping for all 11 home rounds and the players and staff are forever grateful for those that come to support our team’s week in and week out. While no two seasons will ever look the same, we are already excited about the 2023 season and ways in which we can level up the game night experience and ensure that we maintain our league-leading experience.
We would like to thank our major sponsors HoopCity, Roderick Insurance, Navexa and Gage Roads along with our box holders and player sponsors and all the business that ensure that we can deliver the best experience for our players and fans.
While the games may be over for this year, make sure to keep an eye on our socials for all player updates and signings, along with news surrounding the 2023 season.
For now, we would like to wish all the players who will jet off to different parts of the world the best of luck in their endeavours, and we hope to welcome them back in 2023 ready to go for a big season of Geelong Basketball!
