Erin Pearson
GEELONG Supercats have claimed South East Australia Basketball League’s south conference premiership with a 12-point victory against Hobart Chargers.
The Supercats shot out of the Arena box on Saturday night with an early three-point shot from forward Nathan Herbert just 13 seconds into the grand final.
Supercats Isma’il Muhammad, Braith Cox and J’Nathan Bullock helped extend the lead to 10 points, with the Geelong side heading into the first break with a handy lead 27-17.
The Chargers remained firm and fought back in the third quarter to bring the margin from 25 to 11 points but were unable to suffocate the Supercats’ scoring opportunities in the final term.
The Supercats finished the match on top 99–87.
The win was the Supercats’ fifth SEABL conference championship since rejoining the league in 1997 and the team’s fourth in six years.
Herbert won most valuable player for the match with 23 points. Muhammad had 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists, while Bullock finished on 16 and seven.
The Supercats now face east conference champion Bendigo Braves at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic centre on Saturday night for the overall SEABL crown.