Grand Final – Game Two 23 August 2008
Sherbrooke Suns 104 dft Waverley Falcons 95
FROM offensive juggernaut, to defensive stoppers, to Youth League Two Champions, this Sherbrooke Suns squad has been transformed under first-year coach Jason Manton.
On Saturday night, with a 104-95 win over a brave Waverley Falcons outfit, Sherbrooke did what many doubted impossible and emerged from the competitive youth league division as premiers.
After finishing the regular-season tied for first with the Falcons and beating Latrobe City in the Preliminary Final, Sherbrooke needed only two games to claim the title.
Saturday night’s contest at the chilly Monbulk Secondary College saw a packed house witness one of the games of the year. While Sherbrooke led most of the way, Waverley went on a series of long runs and came within nine points at full-time.
When Sherbrooke’s David Black made back-to-back three’s to start the game, signs were ominous for Waverley. Black, who would go on to score 34 points, found room to operate time and time again as a stifling Suns presence on defence opened things up going the other way.
With Sherbrooke up 30-19 after one, Waverley came out firing in the second and at one point, were back within five. But with Sherbrooke rookie Dale Rohrmann dominating the glass, the Suns were able to push out the lead once more.
In the third, with Elias Polioyiannis working hard on offense and Dean Neville reeking havoc on defence, Waverley mounted a charge. When Polioyiannis made consecutive three’s, the pro-Sherbrooke crowd began shifting in their seats.
In the fourth, with the lead dwindled down to single digits, Sherbrooke turned to captain Shannon Kendall to give them a lift. Kendall, who had struggled to score throughout the series, came up with one big play after another to get his side across the line.
When time expired, the Suns had a 104-95 win and the flag in their hands.
For Sherbrooke, David Black’s 34 point, six rebound performance was enough for series MVP honours. Dale Rohrmann, who played hard all night, finished with 17 points, 16 boards and three steals to put a final stamp on a wonderful rookie year. League MVP candidate Josh Allison had 13 points and 14 rebounds while Kendall chipped in 12 points and James Denton controlled the tempo with eight points, four assists and just one turnover in 42 minutes of action.
For Waverley, their spirited fight-back fell just short but spoke volumes about their endeavour. Polioyiannis kept his side close with five three’s and 25 points while Dean Neville’s triple double - 11 points, 11 rebounds and an amazing 10 blocked-shots – had Sherbrooke struggling for answers.
Aaron Stirton, who was handed the reigns when Brad Kelleher left for U.S college duties, handed the big stage superbly with 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in 38 minutes.
With a pre-season grand-final, multiple regular-season match-ups and now an intriguing grand-final series between these two sides, a healthy rivalry is being built for the future.
Sherbrooke, having battled in Youth League Two for three straight years without success, 2009 presents the opportunity to try their hand in Youth League One.
Game MVP: David Black (Sherbrooke Suns)
Series MVP: David Black (Sherbrooke Suns)
Quote of the Week:
“This is the best feeling in the world.”
-Sherbrooke captain Shannon Kendall after his team’s grand-final victory on Saturday night.
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