WARRNAMBOOL Seahawks are winners even before tonight’s cut-throat Country Basketball League semi-final, according to coach Barry Brooks.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Seahawks, the club’s Big V development side, faces top side Mount Gambier in the south-west conference semi-final for a berth in the grand final.
Brooks said his side, made up by a majority of 17 and 18-year-olds, had already achieved this season.
“The outcomes were never an issue,” Brooks said.
“It was what we showed in improvement that counted.
“Some of the boys have showed they are ready to step up to the next league.
“Their commitment to the game is absolute.”
While the Seahawks will start underdogs, having finished fourth after the regular season, Brooks said the margin between the two sides wasn’t as great as ladder positions suggested.
The Seahawks suffered a heavy loss to Mount Gambier in their first meeting but were only three points short in their most recent encounter. “We’ve got to do a bit (to win it),” he said.
“They are a pretty talented team with some experience at SEABL level, which is even higher than Big V, and they have a bit of height.
“We have to be consistent for the game.
“Our best, if we can play that for the whole game we will definitely be competitive and maybe win, but we have mental lapses and they cost us.
“They don’t have those lapses. If we can keep those lapses away, we will be right.”
Brooks said he would be looking for an even performance from his players, after regularly getting three or four players scoring between seven and 14 points without a standout. But the crucial figure would be Mount Gambier’s Simon Berkefeld, who had 27 points against the Seahawks last time they met just two weeks ago.
Tonight’s match is in Mount Gambier.
The winner will play the victor of the Horsham versus Corio Bay contest in the grand final.
grbest@fairfaxmedia.com.au