NEWCASTLE Falcons will stage NBL1 East men's and women's play-off games at Newcastle Basketball Stadium next Saturday night after a dramatic final round of the regular season at the weekend left both teams in third position.
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An 80-63 victory over Norths Bears in Newcastle on Saturday night and a 64-61 loss to Sutherland Sharks at Sutherland on Sunday left the Falcons women's team third with a 14-6 win-loss record, and they will host sixth-placed Manly Warringah Sea Eagles (12-8) next Saturday.
The Falcons men emphatically won both games of their home and away double-header, 93-72 against Norths on Saturday and 87-61 against the Sharks on Sunday.
Those results, and Maitland Mustangs' 106-81 victory over Illawarra Hawks at Maitland on Sunday night, meant the Falcons finished third and will face a rematch against sixth-placed Sutherland (11-11) at Broadmeadow next Saturday. By posting comfortable wins against two fellow top-six teams, the resurgent Falcons will ride a three-game winning streak into the play-offs.
Newcastle never trailed against Norths on Saturday, leading 27-9 by quarter-time and going on to cruise to a 21-point victory, avenging their 76-69 road loss to the Bears two weeks earlier.
Myles Cherry led the charge with 25 points, 14 rebounds, two assists and two steals, and was one of four Falcons to score in double figures. Matur Maluach (17 points, two rebounds), Ryan Beisty (15 points, six rebounds, six assists) and Jakob Dorricott (10 points, two rebounds, two assists) shared the scoring duties.
It was a similar story against Sutherland on Sunday as the Falcons cleared out to a 22-9 lead by the first break and were never headed from there as they went on to win by 26 points - their second victory over the Sharks this season.
Beisty (14 points, 23 rebounds, eight assists, five steals) flirted with a rare quadruple double, and Cherry's stat line of 21 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, four blocks and two steals was just as impressive.
JaShaun Smith provided 13 points, two rebounds, two steals and two blocks, and skipper Jaidyn Goodwin was good for 10 points, four assists and three steals.
"It was like the play-offs started a week early for us and we responded with two fantastic results, so we'll take a lot of confidence from those games against quality opponents," Newcastle coach Peter Astley said.
"Now the real thing starts next week, and we have to go on with it from here."
The Falcons were sweating on the result of the game between Maitland and Illawarra at Maitland on Sunday night to determine whether they finished third or fourth, but Maitland's win meant the Mustangs finished second with a 15-7 record.
Illawarra finished 14-8, the same record as Newcastle, but the Falcons had the tiebreaker in their favour because they won both games between the teams during the regular season.
The Falcons women assured themselves of finishing no lower than third spot with a comfortable 17-point victory over Norths on Saturday night, thanks to another shooting clinic by star import Nicole Munger (38 points, 10 rebounds, five steals, two assists).
That set up a showdown for second place - and automatic qualification for finals weekend - against Sutherland on the road on Sunday, but the Sharks secured that prize with a three-point victory.
Norths finished with the same 14-6 record as Newcastle but because the Falcons won both games against the Bears this season, tiebreaker rules determined Newcastle were third and Norths fourth.
The Falcons must now beat the sixth-placed Sea Eagles next Saturday to progress to the final four.
Munger's 38-point haul against Norths included six three-pointers from 10 attempts, and 10-of-16 shooting from inside the arc.
In the absence of Chyra Evans, Kate Kingham (17 points, two assists) and Rachael McGinniskin (10 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots) provided Munger with solid scoring support.
The Falcons clawed back a 12-point deficit early in the fourth quarter against Sutherland on Sunday to trail 62-61 with less than one minute remaining, and had several chances to take the lead, but could not make a go-ahead basket in the final seconds.
Sutherland's Vanessa Panousis made two free throws with eight seconds remaining then Munger was off target with a three-point heave at the buzzer.
Munger finished with 20 points, 14 rebounds, two steals, an assist and a blocked shot, Kingham had 14 points, three rebounds and an assist, and Megan Johnson added eight points, 13 rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Game times and other details for the two play-off games at Newcastle Basketball Stadium next Saturday night will be confirmed early this week.
