Everything was going to script for the home side until the Seahawks came home with a wet sail to finish the the Big V Division one match on a 20-7 run and take victory 70-65.
The win is the second time this year Warrnambool has gotten the better of the Gators and the first time in four attempts it has won the Bill McCarthy Shield, since its inception in 2016.
Matt Bartlett starred for the Gators with 26 points, 15 of which were scored from beyond the three-point arc, and 10 rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Nick Dodd (12 points) and Tom Frame (11) were the others who scored double figures for the hosts.
Gators coach Josh Waight said credit must go to the Seahawks for their big finish.
“They did a good job and forced us into tough shots and we didn’t move the ball as we would have liked in the final quarter,” Waight said.
“They then made shots down the stretch, so credit to them.”
After 11 matches in the book, Waight said lapses like the final quarter against the Seahawks had cost them across the season to date.
“They all had patches where they played well, but now it's about being more consistent,” he said.
“We’ve had some good patches and know we can compete at that level.
“We just need to be more consistent and finish the season on a good note by addressing those lapses and working on those.”
The Gators sit in seventh position on the Big V division one ladder, with a 5-6 record.
Their next match is an away clash against undefeated Keysborough.
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