Watch the replay: Forestville, Sturt cap undefeated campaigns with Adelaide Basketball Challenge titles

Forestville’s men’s coach says his players’ team-first attitude led to their grand final win, while Sturt claimed the women’s title. Relive all the action in the replays here.

Forestville’s starting five changed from week to week during this year’s inaugural Adelaide Basketball Championship men’s campaign, according to coach Andy Simons.

Players didn’t often train together, either, as some had commitments with the Adelaide 36ers.

But the Eagles managed to jell together and make it work.

They capped a successful, unbeaten campaign with a 79-63 win over Sturt in the grand final at the Lights Community and Sports Centre on Saturday night.

The match was exclusively live streamed by The Advertiser and all the action can be caught in our replay.

Simons was proud of his side, saying talent alone was not the reason behind his side’s success this year.

“I was very pleased with how they played,” Simons said.

Forestville celebrate winning the men’s Adelaide Basketball Challenge grand final against Sturt. Picture: Peter Argent

“We have a lot of guys come in and out with the 36ers commitments (and) they weren’t training with us.

“But they know our stuff.

“Credit to them, the guys can come in and out and play when they’re available but they still play at a good level.

“They make it work.

“They understand that with different guys coming in and out, they have to sacrifice sometimes, they have to step up at different times, their roles change, their court time changes.

“It’s not s simple as throwing the ball down and playing, they’re a good group from that perspective.”

The Adelaide Basketball Challenge is a newly-formed, condensed league, comprising of 10 top tier clubs.

Clubs were set to take part in the NBL1 Central competition this year before it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Forestville's Kane de Wit in action during the 2020 men's Adelaide Basketball Challenge grand final. Picture: Peter Argent

“It was a different kind of season,” Simons said.

“But I said to the boys if we are there, we may as well try and win it.”

Simons coached Forestville to a victory over Mount Gambier in last year’s Premier League men’s grand final.

Forestville’s women also won the 2019 top tier championship and the Eagles were the last Premier League club to claim the double with both sides prevailing in their respective grand finals in 2011.

Meanwhile, Sturt’s women’s ended an undefeated season in their competition with a 68-59 victory against Southern Tigers in the grand final.

But the triumph in the match which was also live streamed on advertiser.com.au did not come easily for the Sabres.

They fought back from being 10 points behind at quarter-time, then facing a 39-36 deficit at the main break.

Sturt’s Nicola Matthews in action against Southern Tigers’ Brittany Winter during the 2020 Adelaide Basketball Challenge grand final. Picture: Peter Argent

Sturt coach John Turnbull says a strong, team defence was behind their victory.

“We made hard work of it, but we got there,” Turnbull said.

“We switched on in defence.

“They (the girls) are quite happy with it … and that they beat everyone.”

Kayla Matthews and Nicola Matthews were best on court for Sturt, while, Teige Morrell battled hard for the Tigers.

Southern started the match well and looked on track to avenge a 17-point loss to Sturt in round 11.

But the Sabres steadied and heaped plenty of pressure on the Tigers forcing them to take shots on tough angles before hurting Southern on the rebound.

Turnbull hoped the successful season would encourage players to stick around and be part of the NBL1 season should it get underway in 2021.