Wallan Panthers’ Division Two Women finished the regular season in an all-round performance at the Jungle on Saturday afternoon, and now are in the mindset for final rounds.
The last game of the regular season, there was nothing on the line for the side in the game against RMIT at the weekend, already securing its second place on the ladder with other teams below fighting to have the chance to reach the top.
Coach Jarrod Bridge said the game with RMIT was to add another win, but also gave some of the more occurring players a rest before final rounds start.
“We did the things we needed to do, we played the way we wanted to play,” he said.
Sticking to the status quo, the Panthers soaked it all in, especially in the third quarter when RMIT was only able to give eight baskets under Wallan’s pressure.
RMIT made a three-point jump shot within the last seconds of the first quarter, having one-point ahead for the second quarter, but the Panthers turned it around, and took the 65-49 win.
Preparing for the game against Surf Coast this Saturday, who are currently on top of the ladder, Bridge said in an ideal world, it would be incredible to have finals at home ground.
“At the moment, it’s all just about preparation. I’ve given the team a bit more direction on what I want them to do when they watch games, like watch film, and do a bit of scanning for themselves,” he said.
“All I’ve been saying to the girls is we need to be over-prepared for anything, so when it happens, we stay calm, we really stick to our game plan.
“It’s literally preparation – watch, learn, understand, talk, and ask questions, whatever you need to do, to walk into the game and be focused.”
While the game against Surf Coast is a direct shot at finals, the side will have another opportunity to secure its spot in another match the following week.
Bridge applauded the efforts by the side, stepping up their game through Division One and Two.
“I’m really proud of how we finished the season. It was a tough build when we were playing Division One and Division Two teams,” he said.
“And to our credit, we finished nine and 10, which is pretty much even, but the way we’ve done it towards the end of the season, we’ve really stepped it up, and shown we’re the best team in our competition.”
