An almost perfect first half from the Melton Thoroughbreds set the tone for a massive Big V division 1 semi-final win against Latrobe City on Saturday night.
The Thoroughbreds, who were coming off two successive losses to Blackburn, came out firing in the first quarter, opening up an 18-point lead at quarter-time.
Much of the same occurred in the second quarter as the Thoroughbreds continued to shoot at more than 60 per cent from the field. They led by a massive 29 points at the main break.
They were unable to sustain the same momentum in the second half, being out-scored 49-36, but had still done enough to secure a 92-76 win.
Thoroughbreds coach Julie McCallum was thrilled with how her side came out early on.
“We worked all season for this and everything clicked,” McCallum said.
“There’s a lot of experience out there. We know in finals, you have to step up. We executed well and forced them into turnovers. They couldn’t get back into their game.”
McCallum said it was always going to be tough to maintain the momentum in the second half.
“It is hard – you know you will not continue to shoot at 60 per cent,” she said.
“We spoke about keeping focus and I don’t think we did that well at all.”
All 11 players got on the court, with McCallum saying it was good for the likes of Jake Prior and Jackson Jones to get finals experience.
Five players finished in double figures with Ivan Harris top scoring with 19 points.
The win came after the game had to be moved to Caroline Springs Leisure Centre from Melton Basketball Stadium, where a burst pipe had made the floor unsafe.
McCallum said that while the move didn’t affect the players, it was disappointing.
She said she was unsure if the Melton court would be ready for use should the Thoroughbreds make the best-of-three grand final series.
“It was disappointing that the only court in Melton was unavailable,” she said. “We shouldn’t have to go to Caroline Springs – it’s an ongoing issue.
“We don’t have the facilities and we lost spectators. Caroline Springs only holds 300 people. Our court holds 900 people.”
The Thoroughbreds next challenge is one of the hardest in Big V – travelling to Warrnambool, with a grand final spot up for grabs. The teams have split their two games this season, with the Thoroughbreds winning the last time they played.
“I think we will have to contain everyone but Nathan Sobey,” McCallum said. “He will get his 30 to 40 points every week, so we need to stop everyone else.”
