NBL1 South Recap | Friday Women's Semi Finals

The semi finals in the NBL1 South Women got underway on Friday night and what a spectacle the Mount Gambier Pioneers and Waverley Falcons produced at The Ice House.

Just one of the two semi-final match ups in the NBL1 South Women's competition took place on Friday night with the other to take place on Saturday night between the Nunawading Spectres and the Launceston Tornadoes.

Awaiting the winners of the semi finals were the Bendigo Braves and Ringwood Hawks as the hosts of Sunday's preliminary final match ups to determine who makes the Grand Final in the NBL1 South for 2022.

It turned out to be quite the dramatic evening on Friday at The Ice House and it was the visiting Waverley Falcons who got the better of the start and went on to lead by most of the game, including by as much as 13 points.

However, the game went into overtime and then had the most dramatic of finishes with the deadlock broken in the dying seconds when the Falcons secured the steal in the backcourt.

Renae Mokrzycki got the ball ahead to Bec Cole who laid it in and that was enough for Waverley to end up beating Mount Gambier 87-85.

That means that the first preliminary final match up for Sunday is decided with the Bendigo Braves to play host to the Waverley Falcons at Red Energy Arena from midday.

It will be the Ringwood Hawks to host the other preliminary final against the winner of Saturday night's semi-final between the Nunawading Spectres and Launceston Tornadoes.

NBL1 SOUTH – 2022 WOMEN'S SEASON
SEMI FINALS – FRIDAY NIGHT

MOUNT GAMBIER PIONEERS 85 lost to WAVERLEY FALCONS 87

The Mount Gambier Pioneers and Waverley Falcons put their seasons on the line in a remarkable overtime contest at The Ice House on Friday night.

What was at stake between the Pioneers and Falcons was a spot in the preliminary final on Sunday against the Bendigo Braves, and it took until the very last seconds of the overtime period for the result to be decided in dramatic fashion.

It was the visiting Falcons who got off to a fast start away from home which was important to try and keep the vocal Mount Gambier crowd out of the contest.

Waverley booked in their semi-final spot by beating the Knox Raiders last week and they kept that momentum going on Friday night. The Falcons managed to put together 11 straight points during the first quarter to lead by as much as 13, and to still be on top 30-21 by quarter-time.

The Pioneers needed to hit back in the second quarter to avoid a straight sets exit following last week's qualifying final loss to the Ringwood Hawks, and they were able to pull the margin back before half-time.

Mount Gambier ended up outscoring Waverley 16 points to 10 in the second quarter which cut the Falcons lead to 40-37 by the half-time break.

The Falcons were able to pull away again briefly in the third quarter to lead by 10 points but by three quarter-time the Pioneers were back within two to set up a big finish.

It was always going to come down to a grandstand finish and after Orla O'Reilly scored to restore a three-point lead for Waverley with a minute to play, Sherrie Calleia responded with a three ball for Mount Gambier to level scores up.

That's where scores remained at the final buzzer forcing the game into overtime with a spot in the preliminary final on the line.

Even in overtime the teams couldn’t be separated as they continued to trade baskets including with just over a minute to go Carley Ernst dropping a three ball for Waverley before Cassandra Brown responded in kind for Mount Gambier.

In the end, the Pioneers had drawn up a final possession to attempt to grab the lead and force a second overtime, but it wasn’t to be.

Instead Renae Mokrzycki was able to force the turnover on Calleia, get the ball out to Bec Cole who finished on the break to give the Falcons the 87-85 lead which they would go on to win by to book in a preliminary final spot against Bendigo on Sunday.

Precious little separated both teams throughout the five periods for the game but Waverley sneaked away with the win with Bec Cole finishing the night with 22 points and 10 rebounds on 9/18 shooting.

Carley Ernst had another strong showing for the Falcons with 24 points, 16 rebounds and four assists with Orla O'Reilly contributing 17 points, four boards and three steals, Renae Mokrzycki 12 points, three rebounds and two steals, and Amelia Todhunter 10 points and six boards.

Cassandra Brown ended up top-scoring for Mount Gambier with 22 points and eight rebounds while Haliegh Reinoehl added 18 points, five boards, three assists and three steals, Sherrie Calleia 17 points, six rebounds and four assists, and Hannah Young 14 points, 15 boards and four assists.