Shepparton Gators took an important step towards securing a Big V Division One grand final berth, destroying Keysborough 91-65 in a game one rout at Shepparton Sports Stadium on Saturday night.
Continuing on from its dominant performance in the elimination final against RMIT, the Gators’ defence was once again the catalyst for the victory, holding the usually potent Cougars offence to 27.71 per cent shooting from the field.
And on the offensive end it was a complete team performance from the home side, with six players in double figures and another two finishing on nine points contributing to a mammoth final score.
Now well and truly in the driver’s seat as the series shifts to Keysborough for game two and a game three if required, Shepparton coach Josh Waight said it was fantastic to get off to such a dominant start.
“It is really exciting to be 1-0 up heading to the second game, but we know they are a really quality team that will be itching to bounce back,” Waight said.
“We felt like we had a plan and to the group’s credit they did a great job executing that, especially on the defensive end, and I think that has been our key to success so far in the finals.”
With the atmosphere at the Swamp at fever pitch, it was a tight beginning to proceedings, with both teams trading blows in an high-scoring opening term.
Leading by two points at the first change, the Gators made their move in the second, pulling apart the Cougars on both ends of the floor in what was a scintillating period of basketball.
Outscoring Keysborough 30-13 in that second stanza to open up a 19-point lead, Waight’s team didn’t let up in the third, once again restricting its highly fancied opposition to 13 points while adding another 20 itself.
With the margin up past 25 at the final change, the Gators then took full advantage of their depth, giving the likes of Nick Dodd, Tom Frame and Gabe Evans extended minutes in the fourth quarter to close out the 26-point triumph.
A far cry from the Garrett Jefferson-led effort that carried Shepparton to victory against RMIT the previous week, Waight said it was excellent to see a more even contribution on the score sheet this time around.
“It was fantastic to see us not relying on just one or two guys to get it done for us on the offensive end,” he said.
“We have a group of players that can score in a variety of different ways and I felt they showed that on Saturday night, the challenge now is to repeat that effort on the road.”
Sporting a host of winners on the night, up-and-coming guard Jordan Michel was the standout for the Gators, finishing with an equal game-high 14 points, 10 rebounds and three assists.
While Dodd added a critical 14 points off the bench as he continues to add an extra dimension to the Shepparton offence.
“They (Jordan and Nick) were excellent, they shot the ball really well, made the most of their opportunities and took some pressure off the likes of Garrett (Jefferson) and Dylan (Wilkie),” Waight said.
“They were also instrumental on the defensive end, which was really pleasing, and had a massive impact on the final result.”
Welcoming a second straight sell-out crowd to Shepparton Sports Stadium, Waight praised the passion of the local supporters and the lift they gave the team.
“They (our fans) have been huge for us all year, with their support getting us over the line on plenty of occasions,” he said.
“Hopefully we can go down to Keysborough this weekend, get the job done and bring a grand final series back to our loyal supporters here in Shepparton.”