Featured image: Michael Farnell / Sports Imagery
Joel Murray has been the playing story of the NBL1 West season and Mark Utley the coaching story, and now they have been instrumental in getting the Mandurah Magic to a first ever men's Grand Final with the win over the Joondalup Wolves.
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Joondalup Wolves (88) lost to Mandurah Magic (91)
The ultimate fairytale story is one step from completion for the Mandurah Magic and it was only fitting that MVP Joel Murray hit the winning free-throws in a dramatic 91-88 overtime preliminary final win against teh Joondalup Wolves.
Mark Utley and Joel Murray could very well be the ultimate odd couple, but for whatever reason, their connection as coach and superstar player has proved to be the perfect combination this season with the Magic.
Utley is the outgoing, boisterous prankster who also just happens to have a remarkable basketball brain while Murray is the ultra-focused and serious competitor who had basketball taken away from him for 15 months.
Adding to their odd couple status, Utley is the heart and soul of West Australian basketball in so many ways. He had a 289-game playing career with the Senators, Magic and Buccaneers, and since has had coaching stints twice now with Mandurah along with at Rockingham and the Eastern Suns.
His knowledge of the SBL/NBL1 West and basketball WA is just about second to none, and then you have first-year import Murray who arrived just days before his debut to a place he knew nothing about, and to take a league by storm that was completely foreign to him.
But now the combination has proven a masterstroke, and while it's anything but a two man show with Michael Durr, Lachlan Bertram, Julian Pesava and Jarrod Molnar among those other key role players, the Magic have made history to reach a first ever men's NBL1 West Grand Final.
Joondalup came into the season off a heartbreaking Grand Final loss last year to the Geraldton Buccaneers and ended up in second spot at 16-6 before beating the Willetton Tigers in the qualifying final.
That meant they got to stay home at HBF Arena for Sunday's preliminary final with the Magic having to win their way into it with a victory at home on Friday night against the Goldfields Giants.
It was the Wolfpack who shot out of the blocks to dominate the first quarter and already to be leading 26-11 by quarter-time.
That lead got out to 17 points for the Wolves in the second frame and the signs were ominous that the Magic might have been running out of gas, but that was anything but the case.
Mandurah fired back with a 9-0 scoring run with the MVP Murray warming into the contest and by half-time the Magic had cut the advantage of Joondalup to 45-39.
That set the stage for what would end up being a remarkable last 25 minutes of dramatic basketball but the Wolves did still appear to have the edge for a lot of the second half.
Joondalup was still on top by seven points at three quarter-time but it was a three-pointer from Murray with seven minutes on the clock that suddenly had the Magic back within two points.
Murray made two free-throws to bring scores level but then it was Wolves point guard Ethan Elliott who responded with a massive three ball.
The tension only continued to build as the lead continued to exchange hands and then there was more drama with Murray forced out of the game with blood on his jersey having just helped the Magic to a two-point lead with a minute to play.
CJ Turnage made a tough basket to restore the Wolves to a one-point lead before Murray was fouled going to the rack and he missed the first, but made the second to level scores at 80-80.
Joondalup had one last chance and Turnage powered his way to the hoop, but the shot wouldn’t quite fall and the preliminary final was heading to an extra period.
The stakes couldn’t have been higher and a minute into overtime All First Team member Turnage fouled out for the Wolves. His captain Jordan Wellsteed joined him 30 seconds later, but Warwick Senators recruit Elliott and Caleb Davis put their new team up four with two minutes to play.
The Magic continued to answer every challenge with Murray bringing the deficit back to two before Jarrod Molnar grabbed his own offensive rebound to tie scores up.
In the end, Mandurah forced a stop and then the ball was in Murray's hands as he wound down the clock with the shot clock off. He rose for a three and was fouled by Gabe Chadinha.
He made all three at the line even though he tried to intentionally miss the third to take up the second left on the clock.
That had Mandurah leading by three and the Wolves had one last chance out of a timeout, but it was just a rushed three-point attempt they could manage from Elliott with Mandurah winning to advance to a first ever men's Grand Final.
MVP Joel Murray was phenomenal once more with 40 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists while hitting 14/16 at the foul line and playing the entire game aside from the 23 seconds he had to sub out because of the blood rule.
Michael Durr also ended up with 13 points, 16 rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals with Jarrod Molnar contributing 12 points and two boards, Julian Pesava 11 points and nine rebounds, and Lachlan Bertram nine points and three assists.
Having Jacob Wiley, CJ Turnage and Jordan Wellsteed all fouling out certainly didn’t help the cause of the Wolves by overtime with Turnage ended the afternoon with 22 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
Christian Jurlina stepped up for 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists with Ethan Elliott contributing 17 points, five boards, three assists and two steals, and Caleb Davis 16 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
JOONDALUP WOLVES 88 (Turnage 22, Jurlina 21, Elliott 17)
MANDURAH MAGIC 91 (Murray 40, Durr 13, Molnar 12)
