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WARRNAMBOOL Mermaids could seek a return to Big V division one ranks after capping off their competition return with a division two championship.
The Louise Brown-coached roster was at its defensive best on Saturday night, defeating Wallan Panthers 70-58 to clean-sweep the best-of-three finals series in front of a packed house at the Arc.
The fairytale finish justified the hard work put in by many to get the Mermaids’ program on the floor following a three-year hiatus.
Brown, who was instrumental in helping the Mermaids resurface, said the club would savour its championship before switching its attention to a potential push up the grades in 2018.
The Mermaids won back-to-back division one titles in 2011-12.
Brown said they were “absolutely’ eager to play in a higher tier having produced a 19-1 win-loss record during the regular season before clean-sweeping their semi-final and grand final series.
“That will be in the talks in the coming weeks I suppose,” she said.
“It will just depend on how many players we can retain from this season.
“Obviously we have a few girls who travel, so it’s a big commitment for them so next week or the week after we’ll start to have those conversations and start the planning for next year.”
Warrnambool entered game two of the grand final series raging favourite after disposing of Wallan – a newcomer to Big V ranks – 83-39 in the opening game last weekend.
But the Mermaids were forced to work harder in game two with a plucky Panthers outfit creeping to within 10 points in the final term.
“That wasn’t an easy win,” Brown said.
“Wallan kept coming and coming especially in that third quarter and even in the last quarter, so it was a credit to our girls. We just stuck it out and we’re just ecstatic to get the win.
“Our first half was great defensively and in the second half we got in a little bit of foul trouble and that changed the game a little bit but down the stretch the girls were great.
“I think we got about three or four stops there in a row in the last three or four minutes and that really sealed the game for us.”
Warrnambool burst out of the blocks to lead 23-6 at quarter-time with its ability to rattle Wallan causing the visitors to make costly turnovers.
The Mermaids’ defensive stranglehold was evident on the scoreboard with the Panthers taking until four minutes into the second term to reach double figures.
But the Mermaids’ commanding 46-16 half-time lead was soon whittled away as the Panthers clawed their way back.
A 16-point buffer at the final break was trimmed even further but the Mermaids, through grand final series MVP Maddy White, held firm.
White finished with a game-high 21 points and nine rebounds.
Holly Greene’s double double (12 points and 14 rebounds) and Amy Wormald’s contribution of 11 points and nine boards were also telling.
Brown said everyone played their part in the victory.
“It’s just amazing. I am a little bit speechless to be honest,” she said.
“It was a great season, the girls are fantastic and we really had to play for four quarters tonight.”
The Mermaids’ championship comes 12 months after the Seahawks – Warrnambool’s division one men’s program – ended an 18-year title drought.