CATS’ FINE TEAMWORK
SIDE MESHES QUICKLY
GEELONG Supercats coach David Herbert believes his side has room for improvement after clearing its first finals hurdle on Saturday night despite limited preparation.
The Supercats are a step closer to the NBL1 championship game, defeating Ringwood Hawks 78-63 in the qualifying final at The Arena.
After a month of disruptions with the bulk of the team away on national duties in July, the Supercats had one training session together before facing the Hawks.
But it was a seamless return, with Geelong dominating most of the match and never looking in doubt, quickly finding the form that powered it to second on the ladder.
Leading 45-25 at half-time, the Supercats’ composure slipped as the Hawks made their move, cutting the lead to 11 at the final break.
The Supercats showed poise under pressure and closed the game out, setting up a home preliminary final on Sunday against minor premier Bendigo Braves in what shapes as a blockbuster clash.
Sara Blicavs impressed in her return from Australian Opals camp, finishing with 23 points and nine rebounds.
Zitina Aokuso recorded a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds, while Ezi Magbegor and captain Alex Duck added 15 points each in the win.
Herbert, fresh from assisting the Australian Gems in winning a silver medal at the under-19 FIBA World Cup, was pleased with the team’s performance while also hoping his players will find an extra gear.
“When you haven’t trained or played together for something like 30 days, it’s always going to be interesting,” he said.
“Ringwood were always going to come back, they are a quality team, you can see that in the way they fought that game out.
“There are things we can address (as a team), with a full week of training under our belt next week we’ll be a lot better.
“It’s pleasing to come away with a 15-point win when you’ve been so disrupted.”