Wagga’s maiden Championship League Basketball leg has been deemed a success after attracting the largest senior field in event history.
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After a slight competition restructure, 16 senior teams were fielded in Sunday’s main tournament, including sides featuring elite CLB players and a handful of Wagga Heat stars.
A slated elite division was scrapped due to a scheduling clash with Streetball Madness, a $25,000 prizemoney event held in Melbourne, but CLB regulars North Melbourne Wolves joined the senior fray and were among the best in what general manager Matthew Hollard described as their “biggest tournament to date”.
“It was a really good weekend and I was very impressed with the turnout,” Hollard said.
“Having 16 teams in the senior division is something we’ve never had before, so definitely happy with that.”
The 16 teams quickly became eight as quarter finals rolled around with Wagga teams Fireballs and Llamas making the semi finals alongside North Melbourne Wolves and Panthers.
Physicality was the order of the day in the Fireballs-Wolves semi final as Wagga Heat regulars Shaun Carter, Zac Maloney, Scott Hare and Shanon Klein ground out a 6-5 win before Heat team mate Josh McPherson spearheaded the Llamas’ 10-9 win over Panthers with some sharp shooting from the arc.
“Those semi finals were really physical actually and that’s how this game usually plays out,” Hollard said.
A quick three-point shootout interlude gave the Fireballs and Llamas some breathing room before the big dance and though the crowd’s efforts left a lot to be desired, the grand final certainly didn’t disappoint.
Maloney and Carter scored inside the opening 30 seconds to hand Fireballs an early 2-0 advantage before Eddie Merkel pegged one back for Llamas in the second minute.
Hare then announced his arrival with a driving bucket to stretch Fireballs’ lead before Maloney began draining shots from the arc, setting up a 7-2 advtange and what was to be an insurmountable lead.
A late rearguard led by Jacob Edwards pulled the margin back for a short while wasn’t enough for Llamas as Fireballs surged late in the piece, running out eventual 16-8 winners to claim the inaugural Wagga leg of the CLB tour.
“It was such a great weekend and the atmosphere was really good,” Maloney said.
“I think it’s been a huge success and we’re hopeful council will get on board again for a three-year deal and maybe even get the hoops installed permanently here [at Wagga Beach].”
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