Heartbreak for Mermaids as Altona grabs flag

The Mermaids went through the Big V division one women’s home-and-away season undefeated but hit one hurdle after another in the play-offs.

The Warrnambool side lost the opening game of the three-match semi-final against Warrandyte before fighting back at home to win.

It was a performance repeated in the grand final series at The Arc.

Altona won the first game 70-62, but the Mermaids dominated Saturday night’s return bout 71-58, forcing the series into a decider.

Saturday’s effort confirmed the Mermaids were red-hot favourites heading into yesterday’s game and that billing looked justified when the home side stormed out to an 11-point break during the first quarter, 19-14.

The Gators were able to claw their way back into the contest by half-time, when scores were locked 31 apiece, and the arm-wrestle continued in the third term when the scoreboard read 45 each.

Early in the final quarter Gators captain Emma Coyne sank a three-pointer and then completed a three-point play, backed up by grand final series MVP Stacey Barr, who drained another three.

Altona led 54-48 with six minutes and 35 seconds on the clock, when Mermaids star Katie O’Keefe missed a couple of shots and all of a sudden the home side couldn’t find room under the basket.

Centre Kate Sewell battled hard but there were plenty of turnovers mid-term as the game became a scrap.

With just over four minutes remaining Coyne nailed another three-pointer and the lead was back to six points.

Louise McLean was desperate late but her efforts weren’t reflected on the scoreboard and an Altona lay-up as the clock crept under two minutes had the score in the Gators’ favour 61-54.

The vocal and noisy Gators fans raised the support level in the last couple of minutes as their players controlled the ball with one eye on the clock.

When the Gators scrambled a lay-up after a missed shot the final score of 63-58 was posted.

Altona playing coach Sharon Grieve said Warrnambool was a hard team to beat but her players knew they could do better than Saturday night’s effort.

“They started off awesome. I’ll give credit to our girls, they came back to get the lead and it was a good tough game,” she said.

Grieve made mention of a number of players leaving Werribee and joining Altona at the start of the season.

“After all the drama at the start of the season we were just so grateful for the support from everyone at Altona,” she said.

Coyne acknowledged Warrnambool’s undefeated home-and-away season.

“That was awesome. I did not know if we could beat you but we did,” she said during the presentations.

Warrnambool coach Peter Davis said when the game was there to be won, Altona stepped up.

“In the big games you have to make the big shots.

‘‘Early in the last quarter you got some support from players other than your key players,” Davis said.

However, he was glowing in his praise of his team after the grand finals series defeat.

“The effect you had on each other and the community was enormous. The support from the community was outstanding,” he told his players.

“Our crowds and the atmosphere has been fantastic. It’s disappointing to lose but they outplayed us today,” he said.

athomson@standard.fairfax.com.au