For all the rainbow this Big V season has delivered Shepparton Gators it will mean nothing without the pot of gold at the end of it.
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The Gators are gearing up for a historic rematch against RMIT Redbacks at the Swamp this Saturday, August 19 at 7pm in Big V finals action.
Shepparton scraped by in a two-point overtime win against the Redbacks in the semi-finals and secured a grand final at the Swamp.
RMIT was then forced to go on the road and beat Pakenham to secure its spot in the biggest game of the season.
This rematch offers the Gators a chance to redeem last season's heartbreak in the grand final.
Claiming the Big V division one title would not only be a victory for the Gators, but also pave their way to the Championship – Big V's top league – that Shepparton dominated in the early 2000s.
Gators coach Josh Waight said securing the home game for the grand final was huge and that he was looking forward to the chance to secure “the chocolates” in front of the Shepparton faithful.
Heading into the final the Gators remain unbeaten on home turf this season.
“The supporters have helped us get over the line a number of times, especially the last game against RMIT where we didn’t shoot the ball well at all,” Waight said.
“The crowd have been massive for us all year and we’ll need their support again on Saturday night.”
They must first face the challenge presented by a determined RMIT squad, a team they narrowly edged past with a 64-62 victory in the semi-finals.
The Redbacks are among the select few teams that handed Shepparton a loss during the regular season.
Top of Waight’s scouting report heading into the clash will no doubt be RMIT’s star point guard Steve Coffey.
With a blend of scoring prowess, skilful ball handling, remarkable playmaking and impressive rebounding at his size, Coffey is a force to be reckoned with.
His presence on the court is pivotal for RMIT, leading it in all major statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists) and is a favourite for the league MVP award.
Key Match-ups
Josh Kooiman (Shepparton) v Steve Coffey (RMIT)
In the semi-final
Kooiman - 6 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2/15 from the field (13%)
Coffey - 14 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 7/30 from the field (23%)
Season averages
Kooiman - 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 38% from 3
Coffey - 21 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 34% from 3
"He’s a quality player, if we allow him to get one or two easy shots it could be history for us," Waight said.
"We've got to be locked in for the full 40 minutes and that’s the one thing we do know, he will play the full 40 minutes."
Kiwi star Josh Kooiman and bench spark Tom Frame had the tough job of guarding Coffey, fighting over screens all night.
While its last match was still a victory by the narrowest of margins, Shepparton would’ve been happy to have kept Coffey to seven shots made out of 30.
He backed that up with a 37-point outing to knock out Pakenham, setting up the rematch in the grand final.
RMIT's Daniel Steen is another player on Waight's radar.
Key Match-ups
Derek Murphy (Shepparton) v Daniel Steen (RMIT)
In the semi-final
Murphy - 15 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 7/13 from the field (53%)
Steen 6 points, 3 rebounds, 4 steals, 3/7 from the field (42%)
Season averages
Murphy - 16 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists
Steen - 18 points, 7 rebounds
While Steen is RMIT's secondary option after Coffey, his performance can significantly impact the game.
Steen was the driving force behind RMIT’s victory over the Gators in round seven.
With Coffey absent, he stepped up to drop 25 points and sink the visiting Shepparton side.
In the semi-finals he was kept quiet, chipping in six points on seven shots.
"We know Steen can really get going and (Derek) Murphy gets that match up again," Waight said.
"He definitely did a good job on him and he’ll need to do it again.
“We ask a lot of him, he needs to remain switched on, but we’ve been really happy with him on the defensive end the last couple of weeks."
From RMIT’s point of view, it will be keen to stop Shepparton’s star from Detroit.
Murphy ran riot in the last game, putting his imprint on the game early.
Instead of posting up or just coming off screens, he came up to get the ball at the perimeter, playing more like a guard than a forward.
Shepparton Gators squad
Predicted starting five
Guard: Matt Bartlett (captain)
A threat from the three-point line, Shepparton’s primary playmaker uses his experience to see things on the court that no-one else can.
Guard: Josh Kooiman
Also lethal from three, Shepparton’s Kiwi import is a competitor in offence and defence and routinely guards the opposition’s best perimeter player.
Forward: Derek Murphy
The Detroit native is an awesome rebounder, great interior scorer, vertical threat and an underrated passer.
He’s also a scary sight on the fast break and uses his athleticism to block shots at the rim.
Forward: Nick Dodd
Part of the local core, Dodd is an efficient three-point scorer with huge defensive chops and was nominated for the division’s defensive player of the year award.
Centre: Lachlan Kego
The Benalla big man has come into his own in the second-half of the season and is a physical presence on both sides of the ball.
He is a great rim protector and continues to polish his scoring ability, showing glimpses of a deeper bag and developing jump shot.
Key bench pieces
Forward: Sam Beks (vice-captain)
Embodying the team’s spirit, Beks is a versatile player capable of filling all sorts of roles for Shepparton and will do whatever it takes to get the win.
He specialises in shots from the mid-range and likes to push the pace after grabbing a rebound.
Guard: Tom Frame
Frame is a hustle player and fantastic defender, with a high basketball IQ and a reliable jump shot.
He dominated the paint on both ends, tallying up a game-high in points as well as rebounds.
Murphy also snatched the game-winning block.
“He played his role to a tee,” Waight said.
“We need him to continue to crash the boards, get to the rim and knock down shots.”
A captivating match-up to watch is the battle between Shepparton's Lachlan Kego and RMIT's Louse Agon – a showdown of the bigs.
Their contrasting styles make the battle between the two all the more intriguing.
Agon is a few inches taller than Kego, but much more slender in build.
He is a play finisher, with good touch around the ring and ability to finish alley-oops.
Agon draws fouls, but converts them at a lacklustre rate.
Kego, on the other hand, is much more built and offers more of a defensive presence around the rim.
He also snags more offensive rebounds, routinely cleaning up misses for easy points.
In their duel in the semis, Kego came out on top, blocking Agon and shutting off passing lanes after Agon screened for Coffey.
Kego also dominated him on the offensive end, using his strength advantage to box out for easy offensive rebounds and attacking Agon at the rim, finishing with four more points and three more rebounds.
“Kego just keeps getting better, each week, each game,” Waight said.
“We’re excited for him, hopefully he can have his best game of the season next game.”
Key match-ups
Lachlan Kego (Shepparton) v Louse Agon (RMIT)
In the semi-final
Kego - 15 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, 7/10 from the field (70%)
Agon - 11 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, 3/6 from the field (50%)
Season averages
Kego - 10 points, 8 rebounds, 1 block
Agon - 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks
Usually lights out from behind the arc, sharpshooters Kooiman, Matt Bartlett, Nick Dodd and Sam Beks came up short of their lofty standards in the win.
Of their combined 32 attempts, they made eight, good for a disappointing 25 per cent.
"We felt like we got the right shots and they just didn’t drop, but we have full faith, they were good shots," Waight said.
"They’ve shot those shots hundreds of times, in training and in games and the coaching staff trusts the players to make those decisions."
Waight said having the core of players from last year's grand final could only serve as extra motivation for the Gators.
"We’ve had a lot of players play at a high level and in massive games," Waight said.
"We knew as soon as we won (in the semis) we would enjoy that night, but then get back to business."
Shepparton Gators will play RMIT Redbacks at Shepparton Sports Stadium on August 19 at 7pm in the Big V division one grand final. Doors open at 5.30pm.
Cadet Journalist