The Mermaids will meet Wallan Panthers in the best-of-three division two grand final series after ending Coburg Giants’ season on Saturday night.

The Maddy White-inspired Mermaids shook off an early challenge from the plucky Giants to clean-sweep their semi-final series with a 79-60 win at the Arc.

White drained a game-high 20 points after playing the entire 40 minutes.

The former US college-based basketballer said she was rapt to play a role in the Mermaids’ revival following a three-year hiatus from the statewide competition.

“We haven’t made the grand final for probably five years now since we went back-to-back (in division one) and we have players now who were there then,” White said.

“It’s huge for Warrnambool basketball and huge for girls Warrnambool basketball to be able to step up.

“It’s amazing (to be back playing for my home club). It’s brought back so many memories, especially playing on the home court.

“I was 16 was the last time I played there and now we’re back to finals again and finals basketball is the best part, it’s why we play, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of girls to do it with.”

Warrnambool led at every change but it was a purple-patch midway through the second term which proved decisive.

The Giants had drawn level at 22-all before Mermaids coach Louise Brown hit the floor and helped change the ascendancy. Her five-minute spell coincided with the Mermaids’ run. They pushed their lead out to 43-29 at half-time after Amy Wormald was fouled on a Hail Mary attempt and sunk all three free throws after the buzzer.

Brown, who sunk a triple in her cameo, was rapt with the Mermaids’ ability to overcome obstacles.

“I don’t know if it was anything to do with me but we had a time out and just addressed a few things,” she said.

“They went to a zone in that second quarter and it really slowed down our scoring and we probably got a little bit trigger happy and were happy just to settle for the outside shot.

“Once we started to attack the basket and break their zone down a little bit and go inside out, our scores came fairly easily from that.”

Brown praised White, Holly Greene (11 rebounds) and Molly McKinnon (18 points) for their efforts.

“Maddy played from the one to the five,” she said.

“She’s so versatile – she can shoot the three, she can get to the basket, she can post up. Holly deserves to be in our starting five, along with a couple of other girls on the bench too, but Holly’s really good depth for us.”