The final round of the Country Basketball League season is complete and the men’s and women’s Shepparton Gators’ places on the ladder are cemented.
Both squads had a back-to-back with finals spots on the line.
The men tipped off their first game against the Wallan Panthers at Shepparton Sports Stadium on Saturday night, November 25.
The Gators were under the pump from the jump, but kept it a contest, trailing by eight at the half.
The Panthers blitzed Shepparton in the second half, two dominant quarters helping the visitors cruise to a 105-73 victory.
Luke Liesegang dropped a staggering 40 points for Wallan, having his way with the Shepparton defence and getting whatever shot he wanted.
Ryan Phillipe chipped in with an efficient 23 and Luke Cairns lit it up with four triples on his way to 14.
For Shepparton, player-coach Dylan Wayman once again led by example, going one better than Cairns with a game-high five three-pointers on his way to a team-high 24 points.
Big V forward Nick Dodd used his size and strength to tally 15 points, doing his damage on the interior.
John Matthew Capacete and Tyson Coonerty impressed with increased opportunity, scoring 11 and nine, respectively.
The next day, they travelled to Benalla to take on the Breakers in a grudge match.
Big V Gators Sam Beks, Lachlan Kego and Jordan Munro suited up against teammate Dodd.
In their last game of the season, Shepparton had nothing to lose and needed a win to have any hope of clinching a finals spot.
The game started at break-neck pace, Shepparton securing a three-point lead after a high-scoring first quarter.
Benalla hit back in the second, claiming a seven-point lead at half-time.
The see-saw continued as Shepparton started to stack up defensive stops in the third, outscoring Benalla 18-8.
It was anybody’s game going into the final quarter.
Benalla saved its best for last, putting up a game-high 26 points to secure the 72-67 win in a great contest between the neighbouring towns.
The Big V Gators all tallied double digits for the Breakers, with 15 for Beks, 14 for Kego and 11 for Munro.
Eric Miraflores reigned supreme for the home team, scoring from the mid-range and at the rim and converting foul shots for 22.
For Shepparton, Wayman and Dodd remained consistent with 21 and 20.
Jordan Birch also chipped in with 13.
The Gators finished sixth on the north east men’s ladder, missing out on finals, and Benalla secured the top spot.
The women also took on Wallan Panthers on Saturday.
They started well, securing a 34-25 lead at the half.
The Panthers started chewing into the lead in the third before Shepparton shut them down in the fourth, holding them to six points.
Shepparton beat Wallan 62-47, their biggest win of the season.
Wallan had an all-round scoring display, with Paige Shultz and Olivia Woods scoring 11 and Melissa Buckley scoring 16 with two threes.
For Shepparton, Montanna Burke contributed with 10, but it was all about Mackenzie Clark.
Clark had 26, with two triples and, most impressively, zero free throws.
This was the first time a Gator had got over the 20-point mark this season.
The next day, they played the Wodonga Wolves on the road.
The Wolves decimated Shepparton in the first 21-6, setting the tone for what would be a difficult afternoon for the Gators.
The Wolves won by 26, 56-32.
Tamica Tunumafono was a shining light for Shepparton, scoring 14 in the loss.
Despite the defeat, the win on Saturday secured fourth place and a finals spot for Shepparton.
It will face Seymour Blasters in the semis, with time, date and venue still to be announced.