Hornets in grand final showdown
Horsham Hornets men’s basketballers are grand final bound after a semi-final win against Colac Kookas in Country Basketball League at the weekend. The men’s side took a 10-point win, 87-77. It was an underdog display from the Hornets, being set the task to beat the minor premiers, away from home, to grab a spot in the final.
The side will enjoy the thrills of a home court grand final advantage this weekend, after it was announced Horsham would host the south-west conference grand finals.
The Lady Hornets could not emulate the men’s success, however, ending their season earlier than hoped after a semi-final loss.
The women’s team suffered a nine-point loss to Warrnambool Mermaids in Warrnambool on Saturday, going down 63-72.
The men’s team will meet Portland Coasters at Horsham Basketball Stadium this Saturday night for the decider.
It is shaping up to be a big weekend for Horsham basketball with the men’s south-west conference grand final and Horsham junior tournament on the same weekend.
Men’s team coach Scott Benbow said to knockoff the top side was ‘unreal’.
“I am feeling pretty good right now, as it goes,” he said.
“I knew we would be up against it having to travel to Colac to play the top side.
“We had Sam Breuer and Matty Lloyd who didn’t play in the end, which made it a bit tougher. Mitch Martin played a hell of a game though.
“Colac scored a three-pointer in the last second of the match, but we really got it done comfortably in the end.”
Benbow said with the grand final and junior tournament all happening in Horsham at the weekend, people would be ‘hanging off the rafters’.
“To play in front of a very parochial home crowd really makes our players grow a little bit taller. This is a rare opportunity to make the most of it,” he said.
“We are a young, fit side and at our best when we play at pace. We will have a full squad for the first time this season, touch wood, no one goes into COVID-19 isolation before then.”
Benbow reflected on the team’s original goal to simply make the finals.
“Once we got close to reaching that, I had the belief we could make the grand final,” he said.
“I don’t want to oversell it, but this is something special. We are a real chance on Saturday.”