The season is all but over for the NBL 1 East Central Coast Crusaders with only one round left for the year.
Both the men’s and women’s teams finished in a stronger position on the ladder than last year, with the men sitting at 12th on five wins and the women at 11th on seven wins.
For the Crusaders Waratah Youth League teams, however, the action is just about to begin as both the men’s and women’s teams have clinched a spot in the elimination at the very least – with a first-place finish still on the cards.
Three games remain in the regular season for the second placed Crusaders youth men, who have had an outstanding season thus far.
They are ahead of sixth place by five wins which means they have locked in their spot in the elimination final but will still need to win every game left for a shot at top spot.
They sit two wins behind the first-placed Hills Hornets, with whom they’ve split the season series 1-1, with the Crusaders taking the most recent victory 78-82 at Hills Basketball Stadium.
After a crushing loss to the Penrith Panthers in last year’s semi-finals with the Crusaders, veteran Alex Bailey heeded the call of captaincy and has stepped into his role brilliantly putting in a very strong case for league MVP and recording multiple 30+ point performances this year including a 32-point game against the Hornets in their recent matchup.
The youth men will face the Penrith Panthers this Saturday, July 22, at Breakers Indoor Sports Stadium, Terrigal at 3pm and it’s a must win if they want to overthrow the Hornets for the minor premiership.
The Crusaders youth women’s squad’s journey hasn’t been all that different this year as they also sit in second place, two wins behind the Manly Sea Eagles.
The youth women suffered a similar fate to the youth men in last year’s semi-finals but have more than made up for it with their performance this season as they look to go all the way.
Led by newly anointed co-captains, defensive anchor Bronte Moore and sharpshooter Sammi McCubbin, the team has ushered in some rookies this season.
They have had stellar seasons so far, with Lucy Corke standing out and leading the team in points per game averaged.
The youth women have four games left until the play-offs start and although they sit in second spot with 14 wins, their place in the semi-finals is not secured.
Behind them in third and fourth spots, the Norths Bears and the Sutherland Sharks sit only one win away and the Sydney Comets in fifth spot only two wins away.
With such a tight grouping in the top half of the ladder, these last four games are crucial must-wins if the youth women wish to retain their spot in the play-offs.
First up, the Crusaders will take on the Sydney Comets this Saturday, July 22, at Breakers Indoor Sports Stadium, Terrigal, at 5pm.
The last time they matched up was in Sydney, when the Crusaders won comfortably 43-54 in front of the away crowd.
The last two rounds hold exciting match-ups for the Crusaders, who will potentially defend their second spot against the Norths Bears in North Sydney on Saturday, August 5.
This will be followed by the final round of the year where the youth women will potentially have a chance to steal top spot from the Sea Eagles in Manly on Sunday, August 20.
Stefan Kataric