THE Goldfields Giants have produced one of the biggest turnarounds in State Basketball League history to book their spot in the semi-finals.

The Giants reeled in a 21-point deficit to overcome a gallant Kalamunda 111-99 at Kalgoorlie’s Niels Hansen Basketball Stadium on Saturday, clinching their best-of-three quarter-finals series 2-0.

The reigning SBL champions now face Perry Lakes in the semi-finals, which get under way with game one on the road next Saturday.

In Saturday’s remarkable come-from-behind win, American import Alonzo Hird was a tower of strength for the Giants and could have gone close to posting 40 points had it not been for inaccurate free-throw shooting.

Hird made just two-of-10 from the line, but otherwise turned in one of his best games for the club with 26 points, 16 rebounds and two blocks.

In the first half, the Giants were made to look second-rate by a Kalamunda side which shot 59 per cent from the field.

The Eastern Suns jumped out to a 31-28 quarter-time lead, but blew the game wide open when they went on a scoring run with 15 unanswered points to lead by 21 mid-way through the second period. Not unsurprisingly, that run coincided with Hird taking a spell on the bench.

Goldfields’ preoccupation with Kalamunda game breaker Adrian Majstrovich, who they double-teamed at every opportunity, left other Eastern Suns players open and they made them pay.

In particular, guard Austin Bruton and forward Wil O’Neal were damaging from beyond the three-point arc, scoring 30 of a combined 40 points from long range for the game.

The Giants hit rock bottom when import Michael Haney was called for a technical foul three minutes from the half-time break, but they managed to steal some of the momentum back through vice captain Mark Heron.

Heron scored two team-lifting baskets inside the last minute. The Giants went into the changerooms trailing 62-51 with still plenty of work to do and at that stage, the team had missed an astonishing 14 consecutive foul shots.

After the break, Giants captain Shamus Ballantyne set the tone for his team-mates with fierce defensive pressure and driving runs at the basket.

Ballantyne scored 15 of his 17 points in the second half, while the 264-game veteran dished off nine assists. Haney (24 points, 16 rebounds) found another gear as well.

A dunk from Hird made it 71-74 and signalled the Giants were back in business, but Bruton’s last-gasp three-pointer on the three-quarter-time buzzer ensured the Eastern Suns held a slender 80-76 lead.

The lead changed hands 13 times in the game, mostly during the last period, which the Giants took control of in the last five minutes.

They were out to a six-point lead with five minutes remaining and maintained that buffer against a Kalamunda outfit which had thrown everything at them.

Heron, whose 19 points and 14 rebounds were crucial, sent a scare through the Giants’ camp when he was slow to get up after being put into the wall by Kalamunda’s Corey Easley with 22 seconds remaining. But he eventually made it to the free-throw line and Giants’ officials will be hoping his stellar form so far in the play-offs can continue.

Eleven points each from Ryan Hulme and Matt Leske, who was again impressive in his defensive role on Majstrovich, was also important on a night the Giants completed a great escape.

Article by Jarrod Lucas (Kalgoorlie Miner)
Photo by Travis Anderson - Andmedia/Sports Vision © 2009.