Wagga Heat have won the series over Shoalhaven and secured their position in the men’s division one Waratah League finals with a 85 to 66 victory over the Tigers on Saturday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Wagga’s US import Gage Daye was heavily-guarded, but he still managed to elude Shoalhaven’s best.
“Their best player Will Ozelins was guarding him, and Gage bounced the ball between his legs, and took off on the other side,” Heat coach Allan Mullins said.
“He left him standing there in the middle of the court.
“They target him, he’s a threat to any team.
“A lot of teams put two players on him but he’s too good for them.”
Daye top-scored with 36 points, Zac Maloney scored 12 points and Aidan Adams contributed with eight.
Development player Chaz Bishop, 16, scored his first two points in State League basketball.
After a slow start, down 19 points to 16 at the end of the first quarter, Wagga turned the game in its favour, and dominated play until the final buzzer.
“In the second quarter we had a 10-point turnaround, our defence was just brilliant,” Wagga Heat coach said.
“In the third quarter we held them scoreless in the first five minutes, that was a magnificent effort.”
The team is finally gelling according to Mullins.
“The team thing’s starting to click now,” he said.
“Col (Reed) and I do player ratings each week, it will be pretty even this week.”
Wagga has a bye next week and will finish the season with three consecutive home games.
The result of the next three games will determine whether Wagga finishes first, second or third in its pool.
The top two teams from each pool will advance straight to the quarter finals.
The team that finishes third will play an elimination final and the winner of the elimination final will advance to the quarter finals.
