Split results for United’s finals aspirations

A ROLLERCOASTER 2024 season has fallen short of finals contention for one of Geelong United’s NBL1 sides, with the other scraping in by the skin of its teeth.

Geelong United’s senior men and women wrapped up the regular season campaign over the weekend, with each side finishing 10th.

Head coaches Grant Wallace and Jamie Petty enjoyed strong second halves of the season, but the top eight remained just out of reach for the latter.

Wallace, still alive in his second season at the helm of Geelong United’s men’s side, helped lead the team to a 12 win and 10 loss record and an eighth-seed finals berth.

In a season of two halves, United struggled before the midway point, claiming just four wins from its first 11 outings.

The men’s team, bolstered by the return of defensive anchor Owen Odigie from a hamstring injury, won eight games of a possible 11 in the back-half of the campaign and now play away at Eltham this weekend in an elimination final.

George Blagojevic enjoyed another strong season at The Geelong Arena, averaging 19.1 points per game, 8.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

Import Latrell Jones proved himself a valuable contributor in his debut NBL1 campaign, ranking second in points for United averaging 18.1 points, while captain Demarcus Gatlin was again reliable in most statistical categories, averaging 12.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals.

Ma’alo Hicks is also in-line for this year’s Most Improved Player Award, averaging 8.4 points and 6.7 rebounds in his age 35 season.

The women’s side battled with late additions to the roster, as Jada Rice and Eve Braslis were committed to playing overseas for the early portion of the NBL1 South season.

This, coupled with the sudden departure of long-standing head coach Matt Paton just before the start of the season, resulted in a 0-3 start to the season following defeats to Ballarat, Bendigo and Keilor.

Rice’s 17-point and eight-rebound debut against Frankston propelled United to its first win and led to a 4-7 first half of the season.

Petty’s roster responded in a big way with a seven-game winning streak to begin the back half, while also losing key recruit Kobe Tehau Hawea-King to a season-ending knee injury.

However, Petty’s side failed in its late-season bid for a finals berth, losing its final four games to end with an 11-win and 10-loss record.

First-year Geelong recruits Shaneice Swain (23.0 points and 6.2 rebounds) and Lasha Petree (20.3 points and 6.5 rebounds) put up superb individual seasons, while Rice put up solid scoring and rebound totals to average a double-double (11.8 points and 11.3 rebounds).

Captain Sarah Elsworthy reaffirmed her claim as one of the league’s best two-way players, averaging 14.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.3 steals, and securing a WNBL contract in the process for Geelong’s inaugural season at the top flight.

Geelong United veteran Jess Scannell also announced her retirement from basketball in Geelong following her final home game on Friday last week.