In a season full of highs, Pakenham’s Big V Youth League 2 men didn’t deserve to have their season end the way it did on Saturday night in Frankston.
But as well all know; sport can be so cruel.
After dropping game one of their grand final series at home against the Frankston Blues, Pakenham headed to Frankston Basketball Stadium in the hope of pushing the series to three games.
In front of a raucous crowd, including plenty of vocal Warriors fans, Pakenham came out with stifling defensive energy and Ned Weideman was a man possessed on offence, scoring the team’s first eight points.
After one quarter, Pakenham held a slender 14-12 lead.
The Warriors weren’t letting up on either end of the court and an 8-0 run to begin the second quarter had the Pakenham faithful on their feet as Aaron Miles and Lee Belton got heavily involved.
Weideman silenced Frankston’s chants of ‘overrated’ with a furious drive to the basket which resulted a massive three-point play to give Pakenham a 13-point lead with just under four minutes to play in the half.
At the main break, Pakenham had pushed their lead out to 12 points.
Tom Greer and Nathan Dodgson were monsters on both ends of the court with some massive plays.
The Warriors weren’t content. Their energy lifted again after half time and when Greer drained a free throw with 5:30 left to play in the third, the Warriors held an 18-point lead.
Frankston’s Tom Garrett hit a triple on the opening possession of the fourth quarter and it was a sign of things to come.
With 3:30 to play, Pakenham’s lead was still 10 points, 66-56, but Frankston was definitely feeling it on offence.
In a devastating one-minute stretch, which ultimately ended Pakenham’s valiant season, Frankston scored nine unanswered points to cut the deficit to just one-point.
A Darcey Strauss lay-up sent the locals into hysterics and gave Frankston the lead with two minutes to play.
Weideman, as he has done all season long, answered the challenge with a massive triple to regain the lead for Pakenham, before Matt D’Arcy hit one of two free throws.
Leading by two points, Pakenham needed to produce a defensive stop and despite a huge effort from all five players, Frankston’s Mitchell Zuijdwijk hit a three with nine seconds remaining.
Pakenham took the ball the length of the court, but a buzzer-beater Lee Belton triple bounced out, resulting in a Frankston Championship win.
It was a heartbreaking way for Pakenham’s season to end, but their effort could never be questioned.
Ned Weideman (15 points, 5 rebounds), Tom Greer (14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists) and Nathan Dodgson (14 points, 9 rebounds) led the way for Pakenham, but every single Warrior left it all on the court.
