Above: Coach Nick Abdicevic issues the instructions at a break in play.By Paul Pickering
TWO Casey basketballers have led the Melbourne Tigers to a dramatic last-second victory in the Big V Youth League grand final series.
Berwick resident and team captain Jarrod O’Shannessy, 21, top-scored with 19 points for the Tiger cubs in a tense series decider against Diamond Valley on Sunday 26 August, with Melbourne breaking a 70-70 deadlock in the dying seconds to take the title.
The previous night, Hampton Park resident Nick Mihai, 21, was the catalyst for the Tigers in a third-quarter burst that set up a series-levelling victory.
In a Melbourne squad brimming with precocious talent, it was the leadership of second-year players O’Shannessy and Mihai that most impressed coach Nick Abdecevic.
“We were the youngest team in the league, and their experience and leadership was definitely one of the reasons we were so successful,” Abdicevic said.
After being elevated into the Youth League Division One this year, Melbourne’s title tilt hit a major snag when star players Ryan Barnes and Dejan Bratic left the team mid-season to accept scholarships in the United States.
For most observers, it was a shock that the Tigers even made the finals, but the likes of O’Shannessy and Mihai capitalised on extra minutes to steer Melbourne towards the championship.
For the 198cm swingman O’Shannessy, the captaincy brought with it the responsibility of lifting his team-mates in front of a 500-strong crowd in game three.
“We were all pretty tired from the Saturday night game, so I knew if we were going to win I’d have to play well,” he said.
“It was now or never really, and to win by that much in such a big game – words can’t describe it.”
Mihai, a 195cm forward who joined the Tigers’ program at under 18 level after playing juniors with the Hampton Park Pioneers, has proven himself a valuable substitute in his second season.
“Nick’s one of the guys that wasn’t necessarily starting, but the kids really respect his leadership and attitude – especially at training and pre-game,” Abdicevic said.
While both players are likely to suit up for the Youth League side’s title defence next season, Abdicevic says they are on the radar for Tigers’ Championship Men’s team coach and National Basketball League (NBL) legend Darryl McDonald.
For O’Shannessy, who is eyeing a career in sports management, it was the opportunities for development that lured him to the Tigers.
“The next side up has NBL players in it, so it’s pretty tough, but if you’re good enough you’re going to make it,” he said.
But while a world of opportunity lies before them, O’Shannessy and Mihai were content to bask in their present glory as celebrations continued this week.
“It’s been a massive week,” O’Shannessy wryly admitted on Monday.
