For Shepparton Gators coach Josh Waight, Saturday night’s elimination final victory over RMIT was everything he could have dreamed of.
Faced with a do-or-die scenario, the Gators rose to the occasion, with a dominant defensive performance the catalyst for the 70-49 victory in front of a sold out crowd at Shepparton Sports Stadium.
Delivering a powerful message to the rest of the Big V division one competition as it moves into the semi-final stage, Waight said he could not have been more proud of what his team produced on the finals stage.
“I was super stoked with how the group handled the occasion, everyone stepped up and played their role and put on a great show for the massive home crowd that came out and supported us,” Waight said.
“The atmosphere was just electric and the guys really fed off that energy, we played with great confidence and are just thrilled to be able to keep our season rolling into a semi-final series.”
On a night where so much went right for the Gators, it was on the defensive end where they really managed to get on top, keeping the usually potent RMIT offence to just 49 points.
This included keeping star guard Stephen Coffey to just 14 at 33.33 per cent shooting from the field, and running mate Daniel Steen to a single basket on 10 shot attempts.
“We didn’t shoot the ball overly well on the night, but defensively we felt that was our best performance of the year,” Waight said.
“Tom Frame came into the game and really provided the spark with his defensive pressure, and then the group really rose to the occasion and lifted on the back of his play.
“Everyone locked in and did an outstanding job on their star players, we executed our plan on the defensive end so well, and to keep a team like RMIT to just 49 points in a do-or-die game, I am super proud of the guys.”
The second quarter was particularly impressive in this space, as the Gators kept the potent Redbacks to just seven points in a period that Waight said well and truly set up the win.
“We did a really good job for that entire quarter and really blew the game open,” he said.
“It all started on the defensive end and from there our offense started to hum.
“To be able to put the foot down was so pleasing as it is something we had struggled to do at times this season, the guys just got on a roll and didn’t look back.”
Despite the defensive dominance, the home side still needed somebody to stand up on the offensive side of the floor.
And unsurprisingly it was star American import Garrett Jefferson that delivered.
The only Gator to reach double figures in scoring, Jefferson recorded a game-high 28 points, and looked a class above with his ability to make shots from all over the floor.
“It was awesome for Garrett to deliver on the big stage,” Waight said.
“He kept the scoreboard ticking early when we weren’t hitting our shots and also managed to find his teammates and get the entire squad involved.
“He was excellent on Saturday night and hopefully he can continue to deliver moving forward.”
The Gators now embark on a three-game semi-final series against Keysborough, with game one set to take place at Shepparton Sports Stadium this weekend.