Basketball
13 December, 2024
Hornets to swarm into Portland
The Horsham Hornets had their last training session last night before Saturday's Grand Final against Mount Gambier and are ready to swarm into Portland.
It was a training session that focused on the task ahead, with coach Scott Benbow saying they worked on the things they built their culture on.
"We spoke about energy, good attitudes, pace, good shots and getting around team-mates which is important to our culture," Benbow said.
"There will be nervous excitement on Saturday, but I expect everyone will be fine. We have been here before and are motivated to take that banner back off them."
There is expected to be a lot of support for the Hornets on Saturday night. A 50-seater bus will transport supporters to Portland, including the players' and officials' family, friends, and any other supporters driving over themselves.
The Horsham Hornets will face the Mount Gambier Lakers in Portland for basketball glory on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. in a rematch of last season's grand final.
Both teams enter the grand final following tough matches and are both on long winning streaks.
The Hornets are on a ten-game winning streak, their only loss coming in round one against Millicent on October 5.
Mount Gambier is on an eight-game winning streak, with their last loss coming against the Hornets by six points at Horsham Basketball Stadium in round three on October 19.
It's an even more memorable moment for Matty Lovel, who will join Tim Wade, Cam Bruce and Tim Pickert as a 200-game player for the Hornets.
The Hornets are going for their third premiership since the Country Basketball League's inception in 2012. The Hornet's previous wins were in 2018 against the Bendigo Braves in a 74-63 victory, and the second was an 87-80 win against Portland.
Before that, they were victorious in the VBL/BigV Championships in 1991, 2001, 2002, and 2008.
Following their win in the 2021/2022 season, they were knocked out in the semis by Mount Gambier in the 2022/2023 season and were runners-up in February this year in the 2023/2024 season.
This year, the Hornets are younger, faster, and stronger. Scott Benbow has coached them for the last four seasons, and he highlighted their current success due to the culture.
"We have a great side, and the culture is good, and everyone is loving their basketball," Benbow said.
"The group has been together for four years, and it's an excellent reward for everyone to have another chance.
"We want to not only do it for ourselves and Matty Lovel, but we want to do it for Horsham and Horsham basketball and bring the title back to town."
In last season's grand final, the Hornets lost 88-100, and Simon Berkefeld was the difference, smashing the Hornets with 37 points.
They have also added Kyle Tipene after he missed last season with an ankle reconstruction. Toby de Wit is a massive player, and Benbow knows they need to nullify them.
"Simon is very good for them, and Kyle is very big for them," Benbow said.
"They are good guards, and we know Simon scorched us in last year's grand final, so we will have to shut him down. Kyle distributes the ball well to him, so we must pressure him.
"Toby is a similar player to Cody Bryan in that he is a good defender and athlete, and they have all played together for a long time and have that experience."
Benbow said they need to work on the zone.
"That second half in the semi-final may have been the kick in the bum," Benbow said.
"We have much to work on and will work on the zone this week. We know what it looks like and what we have to do."
MITCH MARTIN EXCITED TO LEAD THE TEAM INTO ANOTHER GRAND FINAL
For Mitch Martin, this is his fourth season captaining the Hornets, and after losing last year's grand final, he is hopeful that last year's experience will help better prepare them this time.
"I think the team we have this year is very different," Martin said.
"We have brought in some other players, and it's another year we go into the grand final with a great bunch of guys.
"The more you play in these big games, the more you learn, and we are going against Mount Gambier again, and we know what to expect.
"Our slogan is that if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best, and they have been the best for a long time.
"Hopefully we can knock them off."
FREW'S BREAKOUT SEASON
Fred Frew was one of the few tipped to break out in 2024, and he has done just that. He made the starting five and had an immediate impact, and he is getting better in every game.
He may not be a tall player, but his defensive pressure is phenomenal and is improving as a guard each week.
He scored 12 points against Warrnambool, seven against Portland, 10 against Ararat, and an equal team-high 18 against Millicent last week. He stepped up when the game was on the line, scoring seven points in the final two minutes.
Frew has put it all down to his defensive pressure.
"Coming off the bench, I think my defensive pressure got me into the starting lineup," Frew said.
"Being able to do a role, locking up their point guard or who is facilitating up that end, got me into the lineup, which is good.
"Last year, I played the grand final off the bench, and I am looking forward to doing my role in the grand final.
"I think we have that experience having played in three of the last four and that will ease the nerves for most of the group. It should be good."
