Featured image: Taylor Earnshaw
The remarkable run of the Waverley Falcons that saw them win the NBL1 South championship has continued to start the National Finals with the 99-85 victory to close Friday night's action against the Newcastle Falcons.
Both Falcons teams locked horns at UniSC Arena just six days after celebrating their respective NBL1 South and NBL1 East championship triumphs, and both teams made remarkable runs to get there.
Waverley had to win 11 of the last 12 matches of the regular season in the NBL1 South just to finish in seventh spot before then beating the Sandringham Sabres, Dandenong Rangers, Mount Gambier Pioneers and Keilor Thunder to secure the championship.
Newcastle, meanwhile, came from fourth place in the NBL1 East to hand the Albury-Wodonga Bandits their first loss of 2024 and then to beat the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles and Sutherland Sharks to claim the championship.
Both teams deserved to be feeling good about their chances upon arrival to the Sunshine Coast and on the back of scoring the game's first six points, it was Waverley on the way to the 32-22 lead by quarter-time.
However, Newcastle worked into the game nicely in the second term beginning with a three-pointer from Sophie Brennan on the first possession. By the time Elissa Brett hit a pull up jumper with just under five minutes to play in the half, Newcastle even hit the front.
Bec Cole responded with a three ball for Waverley and that saw the NBL1 South champions end up heading into half-time leading 55-47.
From there Waverley were able to remain in control throughout the second half leading by as much as 14 points in the third quarter and 16 in the fourth on the way to the eventual 14-point triumph to enhance their prospects of becoming national champions on an 11-game winning run.
Perhaps most impressive in the win for Waverley was it didn’t take a match-winning performance from Grand Final MVP Carley Ernst. She still contributed solidly with 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three blocks but shot just 4/14 from the floor and 0/8 from deep.
Captain Bec Cole was terrific, though, with 22 points, eight assists, five rebounds and three steals while Renae Mokrzycki came up huge with 25 points, five boards and three steals on 10/11 shooting to go with 5/5 from the charity stripe.
Mckenzie Forbes also delivered 22 points, six assists, four rebounds and two steals while Liana Kinkela put up 11 points and six rebounds on 4/4 shooting from the floor and 3/3 at the free-throw line.
Mokrzycki credits the chemistry within the Waverley team and they are not content yet.
"It just goes back to our team morality, we're such a good team and we're so close and all good friends. When you have that behind you where we've played together now for three years, it just works," she said.
"We just learn how each other play and we help each other, and have each other's back. We've got our first ring now and we all really want to get our second one, and we want to make sure we finish the season off really well."
Two-time NBL1 East MVP Nicole Munger did all she could to give her team a chance with 31 points, 10 rebounds, four steals and three assists on the back of shooting 9/18 from the field and 11/11 at the free-throw line.
Aarion Nichols also finished with seven points, three rebounds and three assists for Newcastle while Elissa Brett contributed 13 points, seven boards, five assists and four steals, and Hannah Chicken eight points, eight rebounds and two assists.
Sophie Brennan added eight points, five rebounds and two assists, and championship captain Kate Kingham seven points, three boards and three assists.
WAVERLEY FALCONS 99 (Mokrzycki 25, Forbes 22, Cole 22)
NEWCASTLE FALCONS 85 (Munger 31, Nichols 16, Brett 13)
For further information on the official destination of the National Finals, head to www.visitsunshinecoast.com
