The Country Basketball League (CBL) is ready to crown its newest champions this weekend!
The final teams from the North East and South West Conferences will battle it out this weekend with Grand Finals set to tip-off in Albury and Warrnambool on Saturday.
Four fantastic matchups will hit the court after some exciting Semi-Finals last weekend. Below are previews of each Grand Final, including a look at the last time these teams met.
South-West Grand Finals Live Stream
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North-East Grand Finals Live Stream
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North East Women
Grand Final – Wodonga Lady Wolves vs Albury Cougars
Saturday 11 February 5:15pm at Lauren Jackson Sports Centre
It’s a familiar matchup in the North East Women’s Grand Final with Albury and Wodonga set to clash after winning their Semi-Final games.
Wodonga hosted Wallan last weekend and defended their home court by securing a 66-43 victory. The Lady Wolves controlled the game and won all four quarters with Rachel Jeffery’s 20 points leading Wodonga to victory.
Albury travelled down the Hume to Seymour and defeated the Blasters 94-75. The Cougars were led by Jade Crook who poured in 26 points and Jade McCowan who scored 20.
Wodonga looks to have the upper hand after winning both matchups against Albury during the season. It was an especially close game between the two teams in the last round of the season with the Lady Wolves winning 60-56. Albury have shown that they can test Wodonga, will the added boost of a home crowd be enough for the Cougars to get over the final hurdle?
North East Men
Grand Final – Seymour Blasters vs Benalla Breakers
Saturday 11 February 8:00pm at Lauren Jackson Sports Centre
Seymour are one win away from the perfect undefeated season, but face a difficult opponent, Benalla in the Grand Final.
The Blasters triumphed at home against Wallan last weekend, winning 87-68. Tyler Best and Jordan Hockley starred for Seymour, putting up 25 points and 18 points respectively.
Benalla won their Semi-Final against Myrtleford 95-85 with Tom Downie, Eric Miraflores and Sam Beks all performing strongly.
Seymour won both previous matchups against Benalla this season with the closest game being a 71-60 win in Round 15. The Blasters are chasing the perfect season and can almost see the finish line. Can Benalla end Seymour’s dream season one game early?
South West Women
Grand Final – Millicent Magic vs Mt Gambier Lakers
Saturday 11 February 5:15pm at Warrnambool Stadium (ARC)
Millicent and Mt Gambier will battle it out in Warrnambool for a chance to be crowned CBL champions. Millicent have been exceptional all season and played brilliantly against Portland in their Semi-Final matchup, winning 65-44.
Jasmin Howe being on fire, she could lead the Magic to glory after scoring 23 points in last weekends Semi-Final.
Mt Gambier hosted Warrnambool in a tight game, narrowly securing victory 48-46. Sarah Ritter led from the front, putting up 17 points for the Lakers.
Millicent and Mt Gambier both won home games against each other this season. The closest meeting between the two teams was their Round 8 match, which saw Mt Gambier victorious 57-52.
It looks like these teams are evenly matched which should inspire an entertaining Grand Final for everyone watching.
South West Men
Grand Final – Ararat Redbacks vs Mt Gambier Lakers
Saturday 11 February 8:00pm at Warrnambool Stadium (ARC)
Ararat and Mt Gambier will face off in a fierce Grand Final matchup on Saturday night. The Redbacks were too strong for Millicent in their Semi-Final last weekend, winning 103-86 on the back of a 32-11 first quarter. Zac Dunmore and Ethan Fiegert scored freely for the Redbacks, pouring in 26 points and 24 points respectively.
Mt Gambier won their Semi-Final at home, outscoring Horsham 32-12 in the second quarter towards a 97-70 victory. Kane de Wit scored 23 points for the Lakers with Shaun Lock also chipping in with 18 points.
Again, both teams won against each other on their home court during the season with Mt Gambier inching past Ararat 91-87 in a nail-biting game in Round 7.
Both teams also finished with the same number of wins, showcasing just how much this game is in the balance. Either team could get hot on the way to victory which should make it a very interesting Grand Final.
