A dominant performance by the Colourfast DIY Pirates against the Logan Thunder on Saturday secured second place on the SBL ladder and a home semi final at 5.30pm against the Sunshine Coast Rip. The game will be played before the Dionysius Transport QBL men's quarter final against Logan which is scheduled for 7.30pm.
The Pirates have been led by live wire guard Jay Washington who is the leading scorer in the SBL at 25.8 ppg and is equal first in 3 pointers made and is second in free throws made. Jay's all round game will be a problem for the Rip to contain. Jay's ability to break down defenses by getting to the rim, finding team mates and shooting the three ball make him a tough cover.
The Pirates last met the Sunshine Coast Rip in round 10 and had a convincing win 94-79. The Pirates have not dropped a game since round 9 and are hoping to carry their form into the semi final.
The Rip have been on a rip of their own and had not dropped a game since the Pirates put them away in round 10 on their home court. The Rip will rely heavily on the experience of their roster with several veteran players with QBL and NBL experience. Ben and Daniel McGlynn, Matthew Donaldson, Sean Murphy are all ex QBL players and Toby Zaremba has NBL experience.
The outcome of the semi final will be a case of youth vs experience. The Pirates will need to play with poise and composure led by their court general Jay Washington but use their energy strength and quickness against a wily bunch of veteran players who on their day can wind back the clock.
Look for solid performances on the boards from Dan O'Connor and Callum Bennie and energy and persistence from Abe Yaak and Christian Pang, throw in some magic from Jay Washington's apprentice, Matt Campbell and the skills of Isaac Deakin and contributions from the bench when called upon and the Pirates will look to prevail with the home crowd support.
The Pirate's coaches have the boys rolling and have proven to be a great team. The experience of mentor Brian Kerle mixed with the exuberance of head coach Rob Crowther have seen the team only drop 3 games all season. The only playoff team team they have not beaten is the undefeated Northside Wizards which they met in early in the season in round 4.
If the Pirates can progress past the semi on Saturday at the "Ship", and if the Northside Wizards beat the Brisbane Capitals, they will face the curse of an undefeated season in the Grand Final and a Pirate's team on a roll!
Good luck guys!!
