For the second straight week Shepparton Gators pulled off a heart-stopping win thanks to a final-minute game-winning three.
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This time it was Kiwi gun Taine Wattie who shot down the RMIT Redbacks 85-80 on Saturday night, July 26, in front of a packed-out Shepparton Sports Stadium crowd.
Seven days earlier, it was sharpshooter Aaron Dolny who drained the buzzer-beater against Hume City.
Wattie, known more for his ability to get to the rim, had made zero of his six three-point attempts before stepping into a pull-up triple in the last minute of the game, with both sides knotted up at 80 apiece.
“Honestly, I just saw I was wide open,” Wattie said after the game.
“There wasn’t much time on the clock, so I thought I might have to put this one up here.
“Grateful to have hit the big shot.”
He hit nothing but net and the Gators closed it out from there.
In a game where Shepparton never quite found top gear, it was its poise and trust in each other that got it over the line.
Head coach Josh Waight said the confidence from Dolny’s game-winner the previous week played a role in the Gators’ ability to stay composed again in crunch time.
“If we’d played this game earlier in the season, we probably lose it,” he said.
“But we’ve been in a lot of close games.
“The boys are learning how to grind things out.
“We didn’t play well, we didn’t shoot it well, but we found a way to win.
“That says a lot about this group.”
American forward Ryan Batte contributed 24 points and 11 rebounds, while his compatriot Bryce Brown added a huge 30-point, 14-rebound double-double.
Point guard Josh Kooiman was perfect from the field with nine points on 3-of-3 shooting and Wattie finished with 14.
This game also marked the annual Bill McCarthy Memorial Game.
McCarthy was a passionate advocate for regional basketball, covering the sport in Horsham, Casterton, Wangaratta and Shepparton, where he received multiple awards for his contributions while working at The News.
The win marks three years in a row Shepparton has won the memorial fixture.
The Gators’ momentum carried into the next afternoon, when they travelled to take on Melbourne University on Sunday, July 27.
Again, the Gators fought hard and, again, the game came down to the final minutes.
But this time, the shots didn’t fall.
Melbourne Uni held on to win 86-78, with Shepparton left to rue a few key missed chances and late errors.
“It definitely felt like we were the better team,” Kooiman said.
“Ultimately just some unfortunate moments where we made little mistakes cost us in the end.”
Batte had another double-double with 25 points and 13 rebounds, while Dolny had a big game with 20 points.
Wattie had 14 once again.
Despite the loss, the Gators leave the weekend with unwavering belief.
At 11-10, they sit seventh on the ladder, behind RMIT and Pakenham.
A win in their final game against McKinnon this Saturday, combined with the right results elsewhere, could still sneak them into the final finals spot.
“We’re confident,” Wattie said.
“The coaches have been backing us, the whole group is positive and we’re feeling like we can go all the way.”
Kooiman agreed.
“Next weekend’s game is huge, our last game at home for the season, so need all the fans to get behind us and give us that extra energy.”
With the regular season coming down to a single game the Gators know what’s at stake.
Catch the Gators’ season-defining final home game against McKinnon at 7pm this Saturday, August 2, at Shepparton Sports Stadium.
Cadet journalist