Norwood Flames (17-1, 1st) v Forestville Eagles (12-6, 4th)
03/09/11, 6.30 pm @ Adelaide Arena

The Flames will be playing for their first premiership since the start of the millennium when they clash with 2009-10 champions Forestville in the Grand Final on Saturday.

Norwood has lost just once this season, which was against the Eagles on July 16.

The Flames have only played once in the postseason, a one point double overtime victory over West in the Second Semi Final.

A series of big plays got Norwood home.

Star player Jess Foley hit a jumper going baseline in the dying seconds of regulation to level the scores.

She then turned provider at the end of 1OT, swinging to Jordan Walker-Roberts for a game-tying three.

Foley was the scorer again in 2OT, this time winning the match by knocking down one of two free throws, after being fouled on a drive to the basket.

Foley, who won her first Halls Medal on Sunday, had 28 points, 11 rebounds, 5 steals and 3 blocks against the Bearcats.

Kelsey Ireland, who had 10 points and 4 assists against West, will go head-to-head with her former club.

The Flames will be hoping Rachel Herrick, who missed the First Semi Final through injury, will be 100 per cent for this one.

Her size will be crucial in combating Forestville centre Carla Borrego.

Borrego had 26 points on 10/13 shooting in the Eagles’ victory over Norwood in Round 15.

Nadeen Payne scored just 7 points against the Bearcats, after averaging 15.5 ppg in the regular season, while Walker-Roberts has been a good scoring option of late for Norwood.

Forestville has won its last seven games and 11 out of 12 overall.

The Eagles have won all three finals, making the most of a fortuitous victory over Centrals to reach a third straight Grand Final.

Since that 18-4 fourth quarter against the Lions, which turned an 11 point deficit into a three point win, the Eagles have not looked back.

Forestville comfortably defeated Sturt in the First Semi Final, and then knocked out West 65-59 in the Preliminary Final.

It was the third straight year the Eagles had eliminated the Bearcats from the title race, and the second time in that span they had done it at Port Adelaide in the Preliminary Final.

The victory was completed without injured Point Guard Monica Bello, and marked a 37 point turnaround from when the sides last met at that venue in Round 4.

The key players for Forestville in this year’s finals series have been Georgia Minear and Borrego.

Minear has averaged 17.3 ppg, 11 rpg and 1.7 spg, while shooting 21/27 from the foul-line.

Borrego is sitting on 19.3 ppg and 16 rpg.

Jess Fergus has registered just 6 ppg thus far in the finals, after averaging 13.8 ppg in the regular season, while Alex Duncan, Jamie-Lee Bow and Tara Robinson are also down on their regular season numbers.

However, after averaging only 3.1 ppg in the regular season, 16 year old Jasmine Trimboli has risen to the occasion in the finals.

Trimboli has scored 6.7 ppg in three finals matches, despite only attempting 15 field goals.

She is shooting 53 per cent from the field and 56 per cent from beyond the arc.

On paper, both teams appear well-matched.

Where the difference lies is in rhythm and finals experience.

This is the fourth week in a row the Eagles are on the verge of elimination, whereas the Flames have played just once and had the double chance.

The fact that this is Forestville’s third straight Grand Final, while Norwood has been eliminated early the past couple of seasons, also gives the Eagles the advantage.

Foley will need to top her semi final showing or else it will likely be a three-peat for the Eagles.

By James Woite