Moe, Morwell into CBL grand finals BASKETBALL CBL BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT   THE stage is set. Two Latrobe Valley teams will be playing off in this year’s Country Basketball League grand finals with a chance to crowned champions. After claiming top spot on the ladder in the final round of the regular season, Moe gained all the momentum heading into the Gippsland semi-finals. Playing at Latrobe Leisure Newborough, the Meteors rode past Maffra with relative ease, 100 to 82, moving into its second championship decider in the past three years. Despite the score reading a one-way affair, the game still didn’t play out as simple as that. The Eagles got out to a quick five-point lead to begin proceedings, with Phoenix Cox (son of former Hawthorn player and Heyfield’s Adrian Cox) swishing in a three-pointer to open well for the visitors. The home side swiftly responded, and even more so went ahead, after Rohan Demczuk had a hot passage of play where he nailed long-range three, and on the next possession, snuck his way through the lane with some handy footwork and finished with a step back midrange shot dropping in. A chippy contest consisted of no easy baskets from either side, especially in the paint, which also resulted in some early free throw shooting and eventual foul trouble, especially for Maffra. Moe managed to create a gap by the end of the first quarter, with star player Austin Shelley scoring the 14 of the final 17 points for the term, as the Meteors went into the break ahead 27-21. As play returned, the opening stretch of the second quarter displayed worrying signs for the Eagles, as they had to call a timeout just over a minute into the term after allowing Moe veteran Jayden Van Dyk to score eight quick points, including two threes. Maffra returned, responding profoundly with a 10 point unanswered run, bringing the deficit back down to four. Meteors big man Stephen O’Brien stretched the floor with a triple to break their cold streak, and additional drives from Josh Parkinson pushed the lead back out to double digits. The main break arrived with Moe ahead, 48-38, which isn’t an insurmountable score line to come back from, but with the quarter they were about to deal, it proved difficult for Maffra. A flat period opened the second half, with Shelley the only player from either side able to find the bottom of the net in the first two minutes. Shortly after, with Maffra feeling they were getting the short end of the stick with the whistle, James Whelan was issued with a second technical foul, meaning he exited not only the court, but the stadium in its entirety. Already down 15 points, now losing their star shooter, the Eagles were on the ropes and on the precipice of elimination. On the other hand, Moe persevered by increasing its intensity in transition and getting easy, quick scores. Maffra rotation big Owen Booth was handed two unsportsmanlike fouls, meaning he also had to leave the building, almost nailing the coffin shut on the Eagles’ season as the rest of the game played out at a distance. Shelley was at his very best when it mattered most, scoring 36 points along with three triples, followed by Parkinson (19) and Van Dyk (16). Cox gave his all for Maffra, finishing with 34 points and four three-pointers. A much closer match was seen in the opposite bracket, with Pakenham passing Warragul in a grand final rematch by seven points. Moe now play the side they bested in the final round of the season to leapfrog ahead of on the ladder. The men’s grand final starts at 8pm this Saturday (December 13) at Cardinia Life Aquatic and Recreation Centre, Pakenham.   DESPITE only playing once in the previous three weeks, in which they suffered their first loss of the season, Morwell made light work of Warragul in the women’s semi-final. The Magic came out on top over the reigning champs, 73-59 at Latrobe Leisure Morwell on Saturday night. After a poor start to the game, where the home side trailed by seven points at the end of the first quarter, Morwell responded emphatically with a 22-9 run to head into the main break with a six-point lead. The Magic buckled down as play returned, ramping up their defensive pressure, forcing the Warriors to make turnovers and then scoring on the other end. By the time of the final buzzer, Morwell had their largest lead of the game. The Magic led strongly with three 20-point or more scorers, through Olivia Ouchirenko (22), Kayla Welsh (21) and Abbey Noblett (20). Kailey Neave gave her all for Warragul, scoring a game-high 32 points. Morwell will play Korumburra in the grand final after the Wildcats defeated Pakenham in the other semi-final by 18 points. In a battle of first and second on the ladder, Korumburra was the only team to defeat the Magic during the season, coming a few weeks ago in a thriller by a single point. The women’s grand final begins at 5.15pm on Saturday, also at Cardinia Life.

LV Express: Moe, Morwell into CBL grand finals #Sport #AustinShelley #CBL

Valley teams vying for CBL titles BASKETBALL CBL BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT   JUST two rounds remain before finals action takes over the local Country Basketball League scene. All three Latrobe Valley clubs, whether in the men’s or women’s division, are hungry to be crowned champions by season’s end. Moe continued its impressive run of performances with two blistering wins at the weekend to remain second on the men’s ladder with just one blemish to date. The Meteors won their two matchups in Round 7 by an average of 60 points. While a 13-point lead didn’t make it seem as though Lakes Entrance would be on the opposing end of a severe thrashing, it ended up happening, with Moe defeating the Pelicans by 67 points at Lakes Entrance Youth and Recreation Centre on Saturday. The significant margin allowed the Meteors to stretch into their bench, with all players logging at least eight points on the game. Austin Shelley poured in 30 points for Moe, followed by Ben van Dyk with 20 and Rohan Demczuk with 18. While the Meteors’ next opponent managed to pile on a better score, the local side went even greater, taking down Southern Peninsula 138 to 84 at Latrobe Leisure Moe Newborough on Sunday. A 40-point first quarter opened the game up earlier, which led to Moe being ahead by 59 points by the time the final term came around. The Meteors featured six players in double figures, with Josh Parkinson leading the way with 24 points, followed by Shelley (23) and Preston Laidlaw (18 and four three-pointers). Traralgon went from looking as the dark horse of the competition, rising purposefully up the ladder, to sitting with a cluster of teams in the middle. They began with an assertive victory over top-seeded Warragul on Saturday at Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium (GRISS) by 20 points. The T-Birds duelled with the league’s best throughout the first half, before getting a leg up in the third quarter to lead by 16 points heading into the final turn. Traralgon kept the Warriors at bay through to the end, with Brooklyn Fue producing a career-best 28 points, followed by Zac Bezzina with 20. Just as the T-Birds looked as though they were going to inch closer towards the top three, they were taken down by fellow finals contender Maffra by 13 points at Cameron Sporting Complex on Sunday. Nothing could separate the two teams after the first half of action, but a 20-point differential the way of the Eagles in the third term blew the game out of the water. Traralgon desperately scrounged to get back into it, but couldn’t overcome its third quarter woes. Maffra’s Sam Whelan was too much for the T-Birds, going off for 47 points (nine three-pointers) to bring down their fifth win of the season and keep the Eagles within the finals picture. Morwell also celebrated at the weekend, keeping themselves just outside the finals race with a 27-point win over Sale at Latrobe Leisure Morwell on Sunday. Nick Sedley led the way with 23 points, followed by William Tankard with 20.   MOE women’s kept themselves comfortably in the top four with a 14-point victory over Southern Peninsula on Sunday at Latrobe Leisure Moe Newborough. A 30-10 second quarter gave the Meteors the necessary cushion to hold on to an important win late into the regular season. Joanna Watson top-scored with 21 points for Moe, followed by Tahni Hodgens and Brooke Hunter with 16 each. Traralgon split at the weekend, beginning with a loss to Warragul by 23 points at GRISS on Saturday, before adding its second win of the season on Sunday by defeating Maffra by 11 points at Cameron Sporting Complex. The T-Birds overcame a 12-point deficit sustained in the first quarter against the Eagles to eventually come out on top. Hannah Smith (19 points), Lauren Tuplin (16), and Cassie Davis (12) led the way for Traralgon. Morwell still sit at the top of the ladder with an unbeaten eight wins, but had the bye at the weekend.

LV Express: Valley teams vying for CBL titles #Sport #AustinShelley #CBL

Country basketball season underway BASKETBALL CBL BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT   ANOTHER exciting Country Basketball Season is upon us, with many of the Latrobe Valley men’s and women’s teams restocked with plenty of talent to see who’ll be crowned Gippsland champions by season’s end. In the men’s division, Traralgon started their campaign off with two emphatic wins across the weekend, beginning on Saturday, taking down Morwell, 108 to 96 at Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium (GRISS). While the final score perhaps indicated a more or less easy victory for the T-Birds, the first three quarters proved otherwise, as the game proceeded to go back-and-forth throughout. Traralgon managed to get the upper hand after the first term to lead by one point before the Magic responded to go into halftime with that slim margin after a 12-4 run to finish the first half off the back of Kelvin Austin. As play returned, the contest remained close before Traralgon’s Koby Tibballs ballooned the margin out for his T-Birds to nine points midway through the third quarter. While Morwell stemmed some of the bleeding, Traralgon still entered the final turn ahead 80-73. The trio of Tibballs, Zac Bezzina, and Dejay Ansell immediately pushed their lead above double figures to begin the last quarter, which automatically gave the T-Birds the necessary space. The Magic continued to fight, but couldn’t get over the 10-point hump as Traralgon notched the first win on the season. Bezzina (24), Ansell (21), and Tibballs (21) combined for 66 points for the T-Birds, while Mitch Evans also added 19. Austin led the charge for Morwell with 24 points with William Tankard next best with 21. Traralgon then more convincingly surpassed Lakes Entrance on Sunday, 97-79 at GRISS. A 26-16 first quarter created the gap for the T-Birds to work with however, the Pelicans did give them a run for their money as the game opened up in the second half. After fighting to break into their deficit, Lakes Entrance got the margin back to five points before Traralgon realised they needed to see the game out. Tibballs arrived again for the T-Birds, hitting some timely shots to push their lead back out to double digits, where it remained through to the end. The aforementioned Tibballs (27 points), Bezzina (26), and Ansell (24) were again at their best. Morwell collected their first win on Sunday against Southern Peninsula, 97-69 at Latrobe Leisure Morwell. The Magic asserted themselves to open the game, playing at their best during the first half to lead by 24 points at the main break. While the Sharks picked up during the third quarter, Morwell finished the game off well to finish ahead by the most all day. Tankard and Matthew Yeates tallied 21 points each for the Magic, followed by Jordan Canovan with 15. On the other side of Gippsland, last year’s grand finalists Warragul did battle with Moe on Saturday night, with the Warriors coming out on top in overtime, 99-93 at Warragul Leisure Centre. While Warragul did start the game off with a 9-1 lead, the Meteors were the ones that appeared most settled to begin each of their year’s, finishing the opening quarter ahead by six points. The Warriors put their heads down and got to work, putting on a 15-4 run through to the middle mark of the second quarter, forcing a Moe timeout. Returning Meteor Austin Shelley (who spent time this year with NBL team Cairns Taipans as a training player) got the margin back closer with some tough drives into the paint, but Warragul subdued to still lead by six points entering halftime. Moe seemed to be finding their groove as the game picked up in the third quarter, finally tying the score up at the three-minute mark and then taking the lead. Rohan Demczuk drilled a crowd-pleasing corner three-pointer on the buzzer to give Moe a five-point cushion heading into the final term, but they were penalised with a taunting technical foul which gave the Warriors a free throw after the end of the third quarter. As the game continued to go shot-for-shot as the fourth quarter deepened, the chippy-ness of the matchup only grew, with the two rivals not prepared to give an inch. Warragul’s Jordan Gooiker finished a tough reverse layup to tie the game 85-all at the one minute 20-mark, which signified the final score of regular time. Missed shots and critical stops played out in the next few possessions, which included Shelley being forced into a backcourt violation as Moe attempted their final shot, and then Meteors big man Stephen O’Brien getting high enough to see Warragul’s George Morgan miss the potential winning basket on the final buzzer. As overtime started, scores continued to be hard to come by, but Warriors young gun Riley Morehu opened the game up with a deep three midway through the period. Each team continued to miss shots, and as Moe had their chance to tie the game up with seconds remaining, Gooiker picked the pocket of the Meteors’ Tom Portbury, seeing Warragul come out victors. Morehu and Murray Myers both finished with 26 points for Warragul, while Shelley also scored 26, with O’Brien next best with 17. Moe took out their frustrations the next day, travelling to Bass Coast Community Stadium and taking down Wonthaggi by 42 points. While the Meteors were taking things a little lightly to begin with, they still entered halftime ahead by 15 points however, pouring on 38 points in the third quarter alone blew the game right out of the water. During that period, from the nine-minute mark of that term to the next break, Moe went on a 35-9 run to be ahead by almost 40 points. Shelley totalled 28 points with six threes, while Josh Parkinson (20) and Portbury (15) were also stellar.   IN the women’s division, Morwell began their year taking down Traralgon on Saturday, 64-61 at GRISS. This was Traralgon’s first game in nearly two years, as they did not enter a women’s side last season. The Magic started impressively, entering halftime ahead by 16 points before the T-Birds made their move. Traralgon held Morwell to just six points in the third quarter, while adding 18 in their own right to bring the margin back to four points entering the final term. Cassie Davis knocked down consecutive threes for Traralgon to tie the game up before teammate Hannah Smith pushed the T-Birds into the lead for the first time. Traralgon looked to be with all the momentum and secure their first victory in well over a year, before Morwell’s Olivia Ouchirenko drilled a massive three at the two-minute mark to bring the margin back to a point. Kayla Welsh then hit the go ahead bucket before Abbey Noblett finished off at the free throw line for Morwell to see out the win. Ouchirenko and Carmen Albrecht led the way for the Magic with 13 points each, while Marley Alimpic and Lexi Cruse both scored 11 for Traralgon. Morwell continued their winning through to the end of the weekend, with a spirted come-from-behind victory over Southern Peninsula on Sunday, 65-59 at Latrobe Leisure Morwell. After trailing 17-4 at the end of the first quarter, the Magic stormed into the lead during the third quarter and held on for their second win of the year. Noblett led the charge with 19 points, followed by Welsh with 16. Moe split at the weekend, first with a loss to Warragul, 66-57 at Warragul Leisure Centre on Saturday, and then victorious over Wonthaggi, 69-46 at Bass Coast Community Stadium on Sunday. While the Metoers couldn’t get over the line to close out against the Warriors, they did all their damage against the Coasters early (inclusive of a 21-7 second term) to add their first win of the year. Piper Albert had 20 points, followed by 17 from Tahni Hodgens against Wonthaggi.

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