THE Port Macquarie Dolphins have stormed into the NSW State League basketball finals following a stunning victory over competition leaders Lismore at the Indoor Sports Stadium on the weekend.
The Dolphins, handicapped through the absence of star forward Simon Klasen (injury) and back court general Wayne Lee (illness), overcame quarter and half-time deficits, as well as a last-gasp surge by the Lismore Storm, to complete a remarkable season’s end return to championship form.
From the tip-off, it was clear that the Dolphins had come to play, giving Lismore little quarter but giving themselves every chance of an upset as they traded scores – mainly from close range, the long-range radar again off on the night (two from 11 attempts).
Behind by one point at quarter-time and by three at the main break, Dolphins’ coach Phil Lee was ruing the locals’ missed chances, especially easy lay ups and put-backs from offensive rebounds, which could have had Port Macquarie well ahead.
The absence of Klasen placed the Dolphins’ tall timber under a great workload as the dramatic second half unfolded.
Michael Sprague stepped up a level, his energetic defence forcing Lismore into low percentage shots while veteran Dave Watts delivered the rebounding qualities (and 14 points) Phil Lee was searching for when he was persuaded out of retirement early in the season.
With consistent centre Chris Smith adding to the defensive and offensive power at both ends of the floor, the Dolphins clawed to a narrow lead mid-way through the third stanza.
And, on the back of a crucial 11-1 run in the final quarter, the locals took the lead out to eight points, the biggest margin to either team for the game.
Renno French was at his powerhouse best during this period, hitting crucial baskets, “toying” at times with the opposition on his way to a game- high 21 points, the former Kempsey junior’s biggest and most important personal haul of 2009.
French displays an uncanny knack of “nailing” a score just when it is needed.
Guard Beau Montgomery was his usual slippery best, the Lismore defence frequently being caught flat-footed by his pace.
While Montgomery’s long-range radar was astray, the significance of his 17 points cannot be overlooked.
He troubled Lismore’s defence all game and will test defenders in the finals series ahead.
Dale Skinner and Matt Erich give Lee the flexibility to vary his tactics as a game unfolds and both were everywhere in defence and prominent in the offensive structures, especially in the middle of the floor where it can all break down sometimes.
But Skinner and Erich remained “tight” in the season’s most important game, the Dolphins supreme 69-63.
Despite the spectacular end-to-end offensive display by both teams, it is defence which wins the big matches and the Dolphins defence is standing up these days.
Of no small significance was the team’s effort in restricting Lismore’s James Whitby to 13 points.
Whitby averages 24 points per game but could not overcome the Dolphins’ resolute team defensive display.
The win assured the Dolphins’ place in the NSW finals for the second successive year.
A victory in Tamworth the next day would have placed the locals in second spot and in the coveted Division One finals, a hurdle which proved to be too high.
A mere three points separated Tamworth and Port Macquarie in the Dolphins’ final regular season fixture.
Behind by six at half-time, a resilient Dolphins outfit threw everything at Tamworth in front of a partisan crowd and, in the face of some dubious home town refereeing decisions, Port Macquarie fell agonisingly short 61-58.
The Dolphins, for the first time this season, were out-muscled by a nagging and vigorous Tamworth defence, but when they applied the same tougher defensive tactics themselves, the foul would be called.
As the Port Macquarie foul count mounted, the Dolphins were forced to back off a little, allowing Tamworth to take control and power on to the narrow win.
French again stood out, 20 points and another game-high tally.
Skinner (10) and Montgomery (9) kept the score bench busy, but again it was the team defensive effort, which gave Lee the most joy.
The Dolphins next travel to Wollongong tomorrow for a quarter-final showdown with the Illawarra Hawks at “The Snakepit”.
Email a friend
Favourites
Del.icio.us
Facebook
Digg
StumbleUpon
MySpace
Reddit
Newsvine
LinkedIn
Kwoff
Twitter