WERRIBEE Devils have discovered that the Warrnambool Mermaids are a tough nut to crack on their home court in Big V basketball women’s division 2.
Only 15 days earlier, the Devils crushed a visiting Mermaids team by a whopping 37 points but found them anything but a pushover in the return bout at the Warrnambool Basketball Stadium on Saturday night.
The Devils recorded a 60-53 win, but only after trailing a more competitive Mermaids outfit at quarter time.
Devils coach Lloyd Klaman said that while the scoreboard pressure was on, his side deserved the victory.
“It was a tough game, a long road trip,” he said.
“They had a couple of players in the team they didn’t have when they travelled down to see us.
“We got the win in the end, but I don’t think it was ever too much in doubt – it was close, but we were always confident.”
The Devils might as well have stayed on the bus in the first period. They shot an abysmal two from 17 from the field, but trailed by only five due to their strong defence.
“Thank God we were playing well defensively or we could have been well behind the eight ball,” Klaman said.
The turnaround was swift in the second period, the Devils offence clicking into gear and taking a lead into half-time.
When the game was in the balance in the second half, it was Devils captain Emma Coyne who made the difference with 18 points.
The veteran made big plays down the stretch, including knocking down three three-pointers.
“She made a lot of big plays,” Klaman said. “It was good to see Emma bob up with a good offensive game.
“We really need her to be aggressive offensively because she can do a lot of things that other people can’t.”
Elisha Burnette was outstanding on the boards with 13 points and 13 rebounds, while Lisa Troyahn had 10 and eight.
The Devils had the luxury of resting the ‘‘big three’’ of Coyne, Burnette and Troyahn in Sunday’s 67-53 loss to Southern Peninsula, knowing that they had the minor premiership and finals home-court advantage wrapped up.
They won 18 of 20 games for the season and will face Keilor Thunder in a best-of-three semi-final series starting at the Keilor Basketball Stadium on Saturday night.
In the men’s championship, the Devils season is over.
They finished with a 6-12 record after a 109-88 loss to finals-bound Corio Bay Stingrays at the Werribee Sports and Fitness Centre on Sunday.
Josh Oswald showed his immense talent with 29 points and 10 rebounds.
