MAKE THAT A DOUBLE: ROLLERS TO TASTE TWICE THE GRAND FINAL FANFARE

Women and men ready to take to biggest stage

IT took until the final few seconds of overtime but the Gold Coast Rollers are into a grand final. Make that, two deciders.

The Rollers and the Townsville Flames women’s sides couldn’t be split after four quarters of intense basketball, each finishing on 70 points.

With Townsville ahead by one point with 20 seconds of overtime to go, Ariana Moorer rebounded a missed layup from Carleigh Patrick and sunk the final goal of the match over her back shoulder to put the Rollers ahead by one point.

The underdogs suddenly became victors as players flooded the court to celebrate the unlikeliest of grand final berths.

“It’s amazing and a surreal feeling right now but we’ve still got a job to do,” said Rollers coach Cassie Dover.

“We’ll get straight into their videos but we’re taking it one game at a time and didn’t look past last night.”

After keeping Australian Opals player Abby Bishop scoreless – her lowest total in a season in which she averaged 23 points – Dover said that the Rollers’ overtime strategy was simple.

“We knew they were going to try and hit big shots but we just said that if we stick it out and grind like we had been doing all day then we could get it done,” she said.

“Our offensive game wasn’t out best in terms of shooting accuracy so it came down to our defence.”

The Rollers will now meet the Southern Districts Lady Spartans in the QBL women’s grand final next weekend.

It was double good news for the Rollers. While the women doused the Flames in Townsville, the Rollers men also secured their grand final berth with a dominant 77-58 win over the Townsville Heat.

“It was one of our more consistent defensive efforts of the season,” said Rollers veteran Thalo Green after the victory. “To keep a team of their calibre to less than 60 points is something we’re proud of.”

The Rollers will now get the chance to seek revenge on the third team who beat them in 2019 when they take on the Brisbane Capitals in the QBL grand final after downing USC Rip City and Townsville in the past two weeks.

“It’s not often you get the chance to get one back on those teams,” Green said.

“It adds to the fire, not that we need any more motivation.”