BIG V CHAMPIONSHIP WOMEN GRAND FINAL REVIEW
Written by Elly Kirlis and Andrew West
The scene was set for a blockbuster Grand Final between two teams who have set up a rivalry over the past three years. The two respective sides finished first (Wyndham) and third (Bulleen) on the ladder. It was Round 2 of the finals where Wyndham hosted Bulleen in a semifinal with the visiting Boomers advancing to the finals after a 17-point win. Now facing off again in the Grand Final, this was to be the third year in a row!
First Quarter
The match's build-up was highly anticipated, and the Dandenong Stadium crowd was electric building with suspense. An aggressive opening from both sides opened the flood gates for what was a high intensity first few minutes with constant paint touches. Wyndham were finding driving lanes early where Bulleen had to work harder to find their options fighting over an aggressive show ball screen defence, still managing to spread the floor and create advantages. Catelyn Van Es was doing it all for Bulleen leading into the quarter time break finishing strong in the paint and pulling in 5 rebounds. Bulleen’s timeout halfway through the quarter seemed to steady both sides as shots weren’t falling at either end. A last second shot by Paschal was way too easy as she cruised her way down the floor into a pull-up 3, giving Wyndham the lead 14 to 13.
Second Quarter
Looking for a response, the Boomers lifted their defensive pressure hoping to generate some stops, yet Wyndham continued to put Bulleen on their hips and find their shots. Paschal had to work for every one of her shots, finding the bottom of the net through constant physical defence. The 3 ball was not falling for either team as the rebound game became more and more important, keeping each other off the offensive glass as second chance points were way too crucial in a do or die battle. 8 lead changes came about in the second term with the Boomers having a response every time Wyndham tried to make a run. Again, it was Catelyn Van Es who carried the scoring for Bulleen, scoring 10 points in a row all inside the paint under extreme pressure. Walking into the rooms at half time it was the Boomers up 1 with the game completely up in the air.
Third Quarter
In what was already one of the competitions lower scoring games, defensive adjustments were made coming out of the half time break, especially from Wyndham’s Gerard Hillier jumping into a zone for multiples possessions in a row. Adjusting to the zone exposed Bulleen’s ability to make a shot from outside as Romas, Baum and Allan struggled to connect from behind the arc. Taking away paint penetration made it tough for the Boomers to generate offence, yet still Wyndham couldn't capitalize when they needed until late in the quarter. Amanda Paschal stepped up when needed scoring 7 straight points to end the quarter flipping the lead by the end of the quarter. Paschal’s ability to get downhill on her left off the middle ball screen had Bulleen in trouble either putting Paschal on the line or being too slow to contain. Paschal’s last zoom action down the middle of the floor extended the margin to a 2-possession game.
Fourth Quarter
With everything on the line, every possession mattered. Wyndham remained in the zone, forcing Bulleen to put up outside shots, still unable to connect, while Wyndham down the other end struggled to make shots they would’ve made all year long. Rebounds and steals became the biggest asset of the game. Maintaining possession and forcing contested looks was crucial. Only 10 points were scored for the quarter, not due to bad offence, or lazy defence but the long close out to shooters, wall ups in the paint, and pressure to force turnovers. Bulleen had every opportunity to score and find open shots but unfortunately it just wasn’t their day. An offensive rebound and step through finish by Paschal took it to 4 points with a minute left gave Wyndham the slightest bit of breathing room. It really did come down to the last possession with Baum getting to the elbow for a pull-up that would have put the game to overtime for the second year in a row had just bounced out giving Wyndham their 2nd Championship in 3 years!
