Shepparton Gators embarked on their final away game of the Big V division one regular season at the weekend, taking on Coburg Giants on Saturday night, July 15.
After three wins in a row, a feat that put them in contention for the top six, Coburg lived up to its name, putting in a giant effort in front of its home crowd in a bid to upset the league leaders.
With a chance to claim the scalp of the best team in the division and its finals position in jeopardy with two games left, it’s no surprise the home team pushed Shepparton to the brink.
Right from tip-off the two teams went blow for blow.
Benalla big man Lachlan Kego and Kiwi import Joshua Kooiman showcased their scoring abilities for Shepparton, hinting at the exceptional performances they were about to deliver.
The Gators lost their chomp, struggling to put the ball in the hoop and suffering an 11-0 scoring run from Coburg.
At the end of the first quarter, Shepparton trailed 22-15.
Gators coach Josh Waight said Coburg came out of the gate firing and did a good job stifling the Shepparton offence.
Sometimes it just takes one bucket for the floodgates to open.
And what a bucket it was.
Sam Beks threw the ball up and Derek Murphy answered the call, climbing the ladder and throwing down a vicious alley-oop dunk.
Kooiman’s jump shot was all butter during the period, putting up a pair of threes as well as a couple of buckets from the mid-range and Murphy used his physicality to get to the free-throw line.
The Gators outscored the Giants 25-9 in the second quarter, handing them a nine-point lead at half-time.
“We did a great job defensively in that quarter and the boys did a great job executing on the offensive end,” Waight said.
The momentum continued to pinball between the two sides, as Coburg did its best to replicate Shepparton’s dominance in the prior quarter.
Murphy struggled to get his shot to land in the third quarter and failed to punish the opposition for sending him to the free-throw line.
Skipper Matt Bartlett’s usual reliable jump shot wasn’t hitting and the Gators failed to contain the Giants’ offence.
Thomas Frame and Beks managed to get a few crucial points to stop the bleeding, but it wasn’t enough to keep hold of the lead.
A horror quarter had seen them lose grip of their comfortable lead, trailing by three heading into the fourth.
“We gifted the ball back to them, they made shots and we didn’t,” Waight said.
“Our defence slipped, we go through periods where our attack isn’t firing, but we pride ourselves on our defence and we weren’t good enough in that period.”
After two chaotic quarters, the teams finally settled back into their intense battle, neither side able to gain ascendency over the other.
Beks, Kooiman and Kego continued to be the heroes for Shepparton.
Beks drained one of his patented two-point jumpers, before Kooiman showcased his marksmanship with some more remarkable antics from behind the three-point line.
Bartlett joined in on the fun, cashing in a wide-open three to level the score 61-61 with four minutes left.
After a two-pointer from Coburg, Kooiman splashed his sixth three of the contest.
After another two from Coburg was answered by Beks, the Gators were up by one with two minutes left.
With the game on the line, the Giants tested Shepparton’s nerve by sending it to the free throw line three possessions in a row, determined to make it earn the points from the line instead of giving up any easy buckets.
The Gators have undoubtedly had an exceptional season, leaving little room to identify any weaknesses in their game.
However, their struggle with free throws has been an undeniable hurdle in the past.
“That’s been a weakness of ours all season,” Waight said.
“But when it mattered most, we made them.”
Beks, Kooiman and Kego brought it home for the away side, making a combined five of six one-pointers to hand Shepparton a nail-biting 70-67 victory.
Top performers
Joshua Kooiman: 24 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists (6/12 from three)
Lachlan Kego: 14 points, 11 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks
Sam Beks: 8 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists (in 18 minutes)
Waight said it was a great home crowd and tough atmosphere and that it was a good contest to have right before finals.
After a few weeks away coaching his state team, Waight said it was business as usual upon his return.
“They’re a disciplined side, I don’t need to tell them to bring their best effort, they’ve been doing it all season,” he said.
Waight singled out Kooiman and Kego as the standout performers.
Kooiman put up a game-high 24 points and 11 rebounds.
He put up a miraculous 12 three-point attempts, making half of them.
“He’s a shooter,” Waight said.
“We trust him, he’s got a licence to shoot whenever he wants and he was excellent.”
Kego contributed a double-double of his own, with an efficient 14 points and 11 rebounds, along with two blocks.
“Kego has come along leaps and bounds, he’s had an unbelievable second half of the season,” Waight said.
After the completion of round 16, Gators return to the Swamp this Saturday to welcome Southern Peninsula in their last game before finals.
While Southern Peninsula is going to collect the wooden spoon this year, it is coming off its first win of the season, and Waight said the team would need one final push from the Shepparton faithful to get it across the line before finals.
“Every team is a tough team and they all want to beat us, so we’ll need the home crowd on Saturday,” Waight said.
“We love their support, they’ve been fantastic all year and we’re really looking forward to getting out in front of them again.”
The Gators play Southern Peninsula on Saturday, July 22, at 7pm at Shepparton Sports Stadium.