A HALF-COURT Hail Mary on the three-quarter-time buzzer helped sink the Warrnambool Seahawks’ Country Basketball League south-west conference grand final hopes.
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Mount Gambier gun Simon Berkefeld produced the unlikely three-pointer to steal momentum from the Seahawks in Saturday night’s semi-final in Mount Gambier.
The minor premier Lakers advanced to Saturday night’s grand final with a 73-63 win over the Seahawks. Seahawks coach Barry Brooks said his side had a two-point lead heading to three-quarter-time until Berkefeld’s prayer ball found the net on the buzzer.
“They got a bit of a momentum out of that,” Brooks said.
Brooks said Mount Gambier was boosted by the shot when it took a one-point lead into the final term.
“I reckon we missed three or four short shots early in the last quarter and we had a couple of (50-50) calls that weren’t bad go against us.
“The momentum was swinging away from us and then all of a sudden we were down by eight and we were struggling to get back in it.” Brooks was delighted with the defensive job guard Josh Dean did on Berkefeld, restricting the shooter to 19 points.
The coach said his side had played well defensively in the first half but struggled to score.
While guard Damian Gray ignited the scoring in the third period with nine points on the way to 16 for the game, the Lakers also found scoring easier.
Brooks said he was pleased with the side’s CBL campaign but disappointed it couldn’t get over the line and qualify for Saturday night’s grand final against Corio Bay Stingrays.
grbest@fairfaxmedia.com.au
