West Adelaide opened the game with guard Brad Davidson, who had been missing for a number of weeks with a calf injury. Blake Truslove and Mark Molitor also started, to combat the rebounding ability of Jacob Holmes who leads the league with an average of 13.3 rebounds per game during the minor round.

In the first quarter Darren Ng for the Sabres was deadly finishing the first term with 10 points which included two three pointers. West were well served by Blake Truslove and Ben Evans who were their only multiple scorers during the term. Sturt were able to build a 4 point break by the end of the first quarter when they led 19-15.

In the early minutes of the second neither side was able to score freely with baskets hard to come by. In the first 3 minutes of the quarter only Paul Rankine for West and Corey Maynard for Sturt were able to score. By the end of the quarter scores were tied at 31-31 with Darren Ng leading all scorers at halftime with 14 points.

Little separated the sides in the third period with a number of lead changes and the scores tied on three occasions. West’s Paul Rankine hit two shots late to give the Bearcats the lead at three quarter time 48-43.

In the early minutes of the last quarter West cleared out with baskets to Ben Evans, Paul Rankine and Josh Bond. That trio scored the first 8 points of the last term to establish what appeared to match winning break when West led by 15 points, 58-43 with 7:53 to play.

At 7:39 Holmes hit a 3 pointer, Sturt’s first basket of the last quarter and the first since Marcus Ng scored with 2:12 remaining in the 3rd period. Holmes scored the next three baskets for the Sabres but the Bearcats responded with baskets to Evans and Bond. After Bond scored the locals still held on, 62-50 with just over of 6 minutes to play.

Corey Maynard then scored the next two baskets for Sturt before Kurtis Phillips hit a triple for West with 4:19 to go. The Phillips three kept West in front by 9 points 65-56. In the final 4 minutes and 2 seconds Sturt went on an 11 point run to steal the game 67-65.

In those final minutes Holmes turned the game on its ear scoring the final 9 points of the contest. His match winning shot was a spin-and-fade away jump shot with just 2 seconds left. His final quarter contribution of 18 points lifted Sturt into back to back Grand Finals.

Holmes finished the game high scorer with a double-double of 28 points and 14 rebounds.

The Bearcats now need to regroup if they are to beat reigning champion Norwood in the preliminary final and earn another shot at the Sabres and crack at the title.