Echuca Pirates will have the opportunity to clinch their second Country Basketball League title when they faces Bendigo Braves in the north-west division grand final on Saturday night.
It comes after the Pirates’ semi-final blitz of Macedon Ranges at Echuca Basketball Stadium at the weekend, where Echuca booked its first grand final appearance since its maiden CBL championship in 2018-19 in front of a 150-strong crowd.
The Pirates grappled with Macedon for much of the game in a physical encounter, but with the Echuca faithful at its back, the side lifted in the final quarter to take a 17-point victory.
Luke Rosendale and Liam Tenace led the charge against Ranges and are set to contest their second CBL decider.
“It was a tough game and Macedon really came out firing,” Echuca Moama Basketball Association president Lisa Baker said.
“But the crowd got behind us and our shots were dropping. They blew them out of the water.
“(Echuca) just all of a sudden turned it on and that was it.”
Baker heaped praise on Echuca’s vocal supporters and expects a large contingent to will the side on against the Braves
“There’s a lot of support out there for the boys,” Baker said.
“There’s a lot of excitement and a lot of people who came to the game Saturday night that hadn’t been for a while that are now making the trip down.
“I’m hoping we get a good, loud crowd down there.
“It was really good to see the Echuca-Moama community come out and support.”
Now, all eyes will be on Maryborough, the venue for what is set to be another scintillating display of basketball this weekend.
Despite finishing on top, Echuca will have its hands full against the Braves in what is set to be an evenly poised match-up.
Bendigo will be chasing its second successive championship after its 2020-21 triumph over Maryborough, and had the best over Echuca in their previous encounter, 87-80.
But the Pirates will be channelling shades of 2018-19 to taste CBL glory once more.
In that decider, Echuca outlasted Mildura Heat in an overtime thriller in Bendigo, on the back of a Luke Rosendale masterclass.
Rosendale earned MVP honours for his 34-point performance in Echuca’s 85-75 triumph, the organisation’s maiden title.
Echuca and Bendigo will face off for the championship on Saturday at the Maryborough Sport and Fitness Centre.
Tip-off is at 8pm, with the game to be livestreamed through the CBL Live Game Centre on the Basketball Victoria website.