Shepparton Gators pull off comeback to keep season alive

Just one spot out of finals with a season finale set up against last year’s runner-up, Hume, Shepparton needed to beat Blackburn.

And after two quarters, the Gators trailed by 15.

Blackburn came out absolutely on fire from behind the three-point arc.

A 20-point first-half from Canadian import Jayden Coke was enough to keep Shepparton in the contest, but the sold-out crowd at the Swamp had been momentarily silenced.

Shepparton’s season was unravelling right in front of it.

Head coach Josh Waight said Blackburn’s shooting was a scary sight.

“We knew they could do that,” Waight said.

“We felt like we had the right people shooting the shots early in the game, but they knocked them down.

“We made some adjustments at half and came out a lot more aggressive and it paid massive dividends.”

What followed was one of the most dominant quarters of the season.

Kiwi sharpshooter Dylan Wilkie and Nick Dodd, in only his second game back from injury, ignited a comeback.

They started by linking up, Dodd finding Wilkie wide-open in the corner off a drive.

Wilkie then got a steal and found his compatriot Josh Kooiman in transition for an easy two.

Wilkie then returned the favour, finding Dodd in transition for a reverse layup over his defender.

Blackburn again left Wilkie open in the corner and he stayed on target.

The lead was cut down to four.

American import Devin Thomas found Kooiman open for three at the top of the key and he joined in on the fun, before a Thomas block set up Kooiman again, this time for a floater.

The Shepparton defence continued to clamp down on Blackburn, Coke getting a rebound off a miss and throwing it way ahead for Wilkie.

Wilkie could’ve waited for support but was filled with confidence, rising and firing over his defender for another three ball.

Wilkie grabbed another steal and put up a corner triple.

This one was off, but Dodd soared high to put the rebound back up and in.

Wilkie continued to display his defence, putting a Blackburn attacker in a straitjacket, getting a steal before diving on the ball to wrestle possession to Shepparton.

The crowd was ignited by his energy and the Shepparton bench was loud and proud.

The game had been flipped on its head, Shepparton now with a double-digit lead.

Dodd picked up where Wilkie left off, hitting a deep triple, getting a layup along with two blocks on the defensive end.

Two deep threes from captain Matt Bartlett and Kooiman closed the third quarter out.

Shepparton outscored Blackburn 36 to eight in the 10 minutes of the third quarter.

Shepparton went from down 15 to winning by 24, closing it out in the fourth quarter to win 102-78.

Waight said it was one of Shepparton’s best performances of the year.

“We know we can play like that,” he said.

“We know Doddy’s defence is one of his strengths, it’s great to have that back.

“And it was awesome to see Dylan (Wilkie) diving on the floor, they all stepped up.”

Wilkie said he felt the team came out playing “soft” and that he wanted to bring some physicality in the second half.

“Defence is like 80 per cent energy,” Wilkie said.

“I brought a lot of that and got the boys involved.

“I figured if I turned up the energy a bit the boys would follow and we got the win.”

Waight and Wilkie said it was another terrific turnout from the home crowd and that it was satisfying to finish on a win.

They also emphasised how great it was to get some of the young guns onto the court in the final few minutes.

Local boys Nic Watson and Aiden Whitelaw cashed in a free throw each for their first points as a senior Gator.

Shepparton will travel to take on Hume this weekend in the last game of the season on Saturday, August 3, at 8pm.

Shepparton needs fifth-placed Pakenham to drop points to make finals.

It’s going to come down to the final bounce.