THE difference between Port Macquarie and Newcastle on Sunday couldn’t have been greater.
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The Hunters were too good 81-64, but the result wasn’t important.
It was all about wrapping up the 2016 season in a positive fashion for the Dolphins while the Hunters were heading for the finals.
Ultimately, the Dolphins want to be where the Hunters are.
Port Macquarie were more than competitive for three of the four quarters, but their slow start cost them and they trailed 27-16 at quarter time.
Instead of giving up in their last game of a difficult 2016 season the Dolphins gritted their teeth and managed to win the final quarter 14-13.
Assistant coach David Lynch said the evolution of players such as Jake Wallis and Josh Kelly was one of many highlights for 2016.
“Our main aim for the season was to make the young kids better and I think we did that,” he said.
The key now is keeping the playing roster together.
“Newcastle do things really well,” Lynch said.
“That’s because they have people who have been involved for years and years who just know where the other player in their team is going to be.”
The assistant coach was impressed that his side competed until the final whistle.
“Sometimes we have mental lapses and then go into our shells,” he said.
“Then you have individuals who try to fix things by themselves and that just doesn’t work.
“Newcastle are the type of team who can beat you by 50 and it wouldn’t surprise.”
Lynch said Sunday’s match was the culmination of what he believed to be a successful season overall despite the results on the court.
“Nobody should be embarrassed by what we’ve done this year,” he said.
“It looks like we’ll get a couple of the players who played in the team who made the semi-finals next year and when you throw them in with the younger kids, it makes me excited about next season.”
The Dolphins are sure to benefit from Josh Kelly who will head to the United States to play college basketball.
He should return after the first couple of rounds next season.
“You throw the experience Josh will get over there and I genuinely think we have a team that can win the competition,” Lynch said.
“Imagine injecting a player like him into our side?
“It sounds like a cliche, but if we could use the knowledge and improvement the players have made since the start of the season and start it again we’d make the finals.”
They just need to keep them all together.
