Wagga Heat has been ruled out of the Waratah League playoffs in bizarre circumstances.
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The Heat finished just outside of the top eight, despite having one more win than eighth-placed Coffs Harbour Suns.
Basketball NSW confirmed the Heat’s worst fears when they released the finalised standings on Tuesday morning, almost 48 hours after the conclusion of the regular season.
Coffs Harbour ultimately pipped Wagga due to their superior winning percentage, which was helped by not playing the entire season.
The Suns’ round two clash with ladder-leading Bankstown was cancelled in March, resulting in them finishing with one less game under their belt.
Coffs Harbour were widely tipped to go down to dominant Bankstown that night.
Had that occurred, both Coffs Harbour and Wagga would have finished the season at 11-7, with Wagga likely getting the playoff nod with a higher overall scoring percentage.
Heat coach Colin Reed said it was the first time he had been involved in a competition which concluded a regular season with its teams sitting on a different number of games played.
Reed added that his team was frustrated, but remained determined to take Basketball NSW’s ruling on the chin.
“Our players might be a little peeved but they’re comfortable with their season and they’ve enjoyed their time together,” he said.
“We’ll celebrate the year we’ve had and the guys are already looking forward to next season.”