Coming into game two of their semi-final series against Keysborough with a 1-0 lead courtesy of a 91-65 demolition job at Shepparton Sports Stadium the previous weekend, the Gators arrived at Rowville Secondary College full of confidence that they could complete the sweep.
What happened next was two hours of the most pulsating drama Big V basketball could deliver, as Shepparton saw off a fast-finishing Cougars outfit to win 89-85.
Kiwi sharpshooter Dylan Wilkie (19 points) was the star of the night, with his 14 first-quarter points helping Shepparton build a lead it would never relinquish.
But when it came down to the crunch, it was an entire team effort on both ends of the floor that lifted the Gators to victory, as everybody stepped up in the final quarter to secure that grand final berth.
“It is an awesome feeling (to be in the grand final), the boys did a really good job of competing and, despite taking Keysborough’s best shot, still found a way to get over the line,” Shepparton coach Josh Waight said.
“We got off to a really good start with Dylan (Wilkie) shooting the ball really well and then we were able to control that momentum into the second quarter.
“Keysborough did a very good job of getting back in the game in the third quarter, but we were able to show some great composure at the end with some big shots by Nick Dodd and Sam Beks seeing us to the win.
“This performance showed just how far we’ve come as a group and that we are peaking at the right time of the season.”
With adrenaline running high after a pair of dominant wins to begin their finals campaign, the Gators continued that momentum into the early stages on Saturday night courtesy of the Wilkie onslaught.
This led to an improved offensive output in comparison to their first two finals games, shooting an ultra impressive 52 per cent from the field and beyond the three-point arc.
Taking a 10-point lead into the main change, Waight said the fast start proved pivotal in the final result.
“Dylan did a brilliant job of kick-starting our offence and the boys did a great job in finding him knowing he was knocking his shots down,” he said.
“From there the boys really started to believe, defensively we did a great job in limiting their second chance points.
“Offensively we really hit our groove, we moved the ball well, found our shooters and really put together a great performance on that end of the floor.”
After Wilkie dealt the first blow, fellow import Garrett Jefferson warmed into the contest, coming up big down the stretch to finish with a game high 20 points, while shooting 50 per cent from the floor.
Waight said having both his overseas stars fire on the same night was incredible to witness.
“It was so pleasing to see them both have great nights, Dylan was awesome in setting the tone and then Garrett did a great job down the stretch,” he said.
“They complement each other so well and really took the load off the rest of our guys.”
Shepparton now prepares for a grand final series against Bellarine, which upset dominant top seed Melbourne University in a semi-final boil over.
Waight said his team was brimming with confidence ahead of the big dance.
“At the moment we are doing a really good job of executing how we want to play,” he said.
“We know heading into the grand final nothing is going to change, we are playing our best basketball and cannot wait for the challenge.”
