NBL1 South Recap | Men's Grand Final

The Hobart Chargers delivered a masterclass over the final three quarters to prove too powerful, experienced and ultimately too hard to score against to beat the Mount Gambier Pioneers 78-62 win the NBL1 South Men's championship.

The Chargers finished the regular season in the NBL1 South on top of the table but the Pioneers kept pace with them most of the way and it was a fitting Grand Final between the two teams on Saturday night at the State Basketball Centre.

The Pioneers then came out and produced a standout opening quarter to lead by 10 points at quarter-time, but from there the Chargers took over and dominated the rest of the contest.

Hobart held Mount Gambier to just six points in the second quarter and only 39 points for the last three quarters as they scored 65 points of their own in that time to turn 10-point deficit into the eventual 16-point victory.

The championship is a first for the Chargers since winning the SEABL championship in 2018 which came after previous triumphs in 2000 and 2002.

It was a dominant last three quarters in the Grand Final from the Anthony Stewart-coached Chargers. They ended up pulling down 56 rebounds to 38 from the Pioneers while shooting 43.8 per cent from the floor compared with 32.9.

Tasmania JackJumpers NBL star Sam McDaniel was fittingly named Grand Final MVP after he produced 32 points and six rebounds for the Chargers on shooting 13/20 from the field and 4/5 from three-point territory.

German powerhouse Ole Angerstein added 11 points, six rebounds and two blocks for Hobart on 4/4 shooting with another JackJumpers stalwart Jarred Bairstow ending up with 11 points, 12 rebounds and four assists.

Ahead of his return to the Brisbane Bullets, Harry Froling produced five points, 14 rebounds, five assists and two statement blocks for Hobart as well with AJ Harris contributing seven points and three assists, Jacob Richards seven points and four boards, and Jamar Sandifer five points and four rebounds.

Nick Marshall did all he could to try and inspire Mount Gambier finishing the Grand Final with 25 points and nine rebounds with Michael Harris adding 13 points and five boards, and Jordan Rawls 11 points and three rebounds.

The first significant blow of the Grand Final was struck by Michael Harris with a three-pointer for Mount Gambier but Ole Angerstein hit back for Hobart with a trademark offensive rebound and putback.

It was turning into a defensive grind until Nick Marshall knocked down a jumper and then Clevon Brown delivered a dunk for the Pioneers. Harris then scored again to push Mount Gambier out to a six-point edge and then Jordan Rawls hit the floor and nailed another from deep.

Marshall then stretched the Pioneers lead to nine before games record holder Erik Burdon stretched that advantage out to 10, and they went into quarter-time on top 23-13.

It didn’t take long to start the second quarter for Hobart to close that gap, though, starting with a triple from Sam McDaniel before Angerstein threw down a dunk on the breakaway and then McDaniel hit a pair of free-throws.

Another dunk from Angerstein suddenly had the Chargers a point behind after nine straight points to start and that became a two-point lead and 12 consecutive points when AJ Harris landed from beyond the arc.

The stunning run to start the quarter then became 15 points with a triple from McDaniel and 17 when the JackJumpers star scored inside and they led by seven.

It took almost six minutes into the quarter for Mount Gambier to score before Marshall got inside to hit a basket, but immediately Hobart responded with a three ball from Jacob Richards.

The Chargers turned that into a 35-29 advantage at the main break and it didn’t take long into the second half for the lead to grow to double figures. It got out to 10 points thanks to a three ball from Jarred Bairstow and then McDaniel extended it to 12.

Marshall was doing his best to keep Mount Gambier in touch, but every time he nailed a jumper the Chargers would respond up the other end before Jamar Sandifer hit from downtown to push their lead back out to 12.

Harry Froling then nailed a three ball of his own to push the Chargers advantage to 15 points and they still lead by 11 at three quarter-time.

A couple of early fourth quarter baskets to McDaniel and Bairstow kept Hobart on top by 13 points and then McDaniel knocked down one from long-range to restore that 13-point advantage in response to a Pioneers triple from Kane de Wit.

The Grand Final was all but sealed when McDaniel then drilled another three-pointer with just over five minutes to play to give the Chargers the 18-point advantage.

From there Hobart went on to win the game 78-62 to claim the championship in style and book themselves in for a spot at next week's National Finals also at the State Basketball Centre in Melbourne.

NBL1 SOUTH MEN'S GRAND FINAL 2022

HOBART CHARGERS 78 (McDaniel 32, Angerstein 11, Bairstow 11) 

MOUNT GAMBIER PIONEERS 62 (Marshall 25, Harris 13, Rawls 11)

Grand Final MVP: Sam McDaniel

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