Firstly from: http://www.bigv.com.au
Tigers too much artillery for Hawks
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP MEN
GRAND FINAL GAME TWO
Melbourne Tigers 130 beat Ringwood Hawks 111
The Melbourne Tigers have taken the 2009 State Championship Men's Grand Final series in two games, beating the Ringwood Hawks by 19 points in what was a dominant offensive display.
It's hard to outscore a team that can finish a game of basketball with 130 points — they had 70 at half time. It's equally tough to out shoot a team that's good for 53 per cent from the field and 43 pr cent, especially when they put up 42 attempts from the arc for a game. But these were only some of the massive hurdles that the Ringwood Hawks had to overcome in series where they struggled to stay in the hunt.
The Tigers' shooting performance was nothing short of spectacular. They had a huge inside presence in Daniel Johnson, who owned the low block and had the Hawks doubling from the weak-side. The Tigers played the inside/outside game to perfection, with crisp ball movement giving, their shooters plenty of daylight. Every time the Hawks made a run, the Tigers broke their hearts from outside.
Finals MVP Darryl Corletto lifted in game two, finishing with 33 points and 12 dimes. Matt O'Hea finished with 30 himself, to go along with 11 boards. His shooting was perhaps only topped by Adrien Sturt, who connected on five of six triples to go with a nice dunk in the fourth, to finish the game with 26.
For the Hawks, they weren't disappointing by any stretch. They were able to get points on the board themselves — to finish with 111 against this Tigers outfit was no mean feat. McMillan was consistent with 30 points and nine boards, and the always-fiery Matthew Snowball put up a valiant effort, finishing with 22 points, nine boards and eight assists. He shot the ball well from the three and in the early stages, kept Ringwood in touch when they were struggling for buckets.
Import Sam Belt was not his usual self, finishing the game with 17. He shot 25 per cent from the field and was worse from the three — a disappointing end to a stellar season.
The Tigers led at the first change by 17 and this was quickly out to above twenty in the second. But the Hawks rallied, and got the game back to 12, before the Tigers knocked some big shots and extended yet again. The Tigers were in front by as many as 29 but to the credit of the Hawks, they played the game out under difficult circumstances.
The Tigers had inches at every spot, they shot the ball better, and were very worthy back-to-back champions. Al Westover called the Hawks the bench-mark for the season, and he was right. But the Tigers brought their game when it counted and now boast another banner to hang in their hallowed gallery.
Finals MVP: Darryl Corletto
Bronocs close to perfection
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP WOMEN
GRAND FINAL GAME TWO
Hume City Broncos 75 dft. Waverley Falcons 73
The Hume City Broncos have overcome a huge scare to take game two and the State Championship Grand Final series by a thrilling two points. The Falcons led by as many as 15 at one stage, and went into the final term 13 points in front, but the Broncos rallied and pinched the win on their home floor.
The Falcons second and third quarter was as good as we've seen this year, outscoring the Broncos 56 to 29. They were aggressive, attacking and showed why they were genuine contenders. But, as has been the story for the Falcons all year, their first and last quarters were as if another squad was playing. They were only able to score six points in the first term, and only five in the last.
And this is where the Broncos did their damage. Katrina HIbbert was dominant yet again, finishing the game with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Her partner in hoops, Sharin Milner was equally impressive, finishing the game with 21 points.
For the Falcons, Laura Thomas was Waverleys best, double-doubling with 19 points and 17 boards. Brooke McKay backed up her impressive game one finishing with 16 points.
The Falcons were huge in the paint, out-rebounding the Broncos by nine and outscoring them 40 to 26 under the basket. They shot better from the field and from the three, but let themselves down from the stripe, connecting on 12 of 22. The Broncos on the other hand made the most of their free-throws, getting to the line 19 times for 16 points.
The Broncos have been unstoppable all season, and the Falcons have been a worthy adversary. And although the best team on the season walked away with the title, the Falcons may always wonder what may have transpired on Sunday, had they got over the line.
Finals MVP: Katrina Hibbert
