STAR POWER
Former NBL player Deba George leads Essington to Championship
DEBA George’s class, and the amazing athleticism of Tobiasz Hose and Deola D’Brown – rarely seen at Darwin Basketball Championship level – had the crowd gasping in wonder in the Championship grand final last night.
It allowed Essington to triumph 100 to 81 over Uni Rebels in the Cannons’ first season in the league.
And with those three big guns wowing the crowds every week, what a season it was.
After looking like they’d be the easybeats early on before acquiring their three brilliant imports, the Cannons were simply too good for a gallant Rebels outfit which never stopped trying.
George finished the night with 35 points, while D’Brown (33 points) and Hose (12) provided excellent support as Essington notched up its thirdstraight win over Uni.
Like Eagles in the women’s decider, the Rebels were the surprise leaders early with an 8-0 advantage.
But it wasn’t long before George took charge, showing his renowned composure under pressure which saw him play for the Cairns Taipans in the NBL.
His jump shots were sublime, making many contested shots inside and outside the paint, which no other player on the court could pull off.
Suddenly, Essington had a 22-12 lead at quarter-time and they were never headed from there.
A thunderous alley-oop by Hose with an assist from George, followed by a couple of Deola D’Brown dunks and a nasty block, brought the house down in the third quarter.
After these Essington offensive trick shots, it opened up a 61-48 lead against a demoralised Rebels outfit, and the Cannons cruised home.