Kilsyth Cobras and Nunawading Spectres set for an up-tempo NBL1 women’s preliminary final

Outer-eastern rivals Kilsyth Cobras and Nunawading Spectres are set for an NBL1 preliminary final, and it’s going to be a high-speed encounter.

Kilsyth coach Sam Woosnam. Picture: Christopher Chan.

Kilsyth Cobras coach Sam Woosnam is expecting an up-tempo battle against the Nunawading Spectres in Saturday night’s NBL1 women’s preliminary final at the Kilsyth Sports Centre.

The Cobras and Spectres met in round 11 and round 14 of the regular season with Nunawading defeating Kilsyth 78-71 in the first match before the Cobras got revenge, 80-72, three weeks later.

Woosnam is expecting another close clash when the sides meet on Saturday night, with a spot in the NBL1 championship game at stake.

“We have been lucky enough to play each other recently in the regular season as well,” Woosnam said. “They got us at home and we beat them at their home. They’re playing some really good basketball right now. It makes them pretty guard dominant.

“I’m expecting a fast-paced game from them for sure. I think all of our games against Nunawading are always great contests. I know we are really looking forward to it.”

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Nunawading and Kilsyth do battle in a SEABL final last year

One area where Kilsyth holds an advantage is in experience with the likes of Clare Camac and Alison Downie having enjoyed championship success at this level before.

While Woosnam thinks this experience will help her team, it isn’t an element she is focusing on too much.

“It’s a final, it’s not like a regular season game … finals are a totally different season,” she said. “Having experienced people in the team like Camac and Downie, that’s very valuable from the standpoint where they just know how to play in these games.

“On the other side of that, you have these young girls that may not have as much championship experience but they’re still great players and have nothing to lose.

“If the game is close, I expect our experience to help us in those situations but it’s not something that I focus on.”

Reflecting on the Cobras’ 85-70 qualifying final win over the Bendigo Braves, Woosnam said the second-half turnaround came down to instilling enough belief into her team that it could take down the top side away from home.

Kilsyth outscored Bendigo 52-28 in the second half with Woosnam revealing what she said to her team at halftime.

“It was just for us to be confident and confident in our own abilities that we can beat these better teams,” she said. “Bendigo have been a powerhouse for as long as I can remember. It was giving the group some reinforcement that we can match it with them, we just needed to want it more.

“It was just about regrouping and letting the group know this is our game.”

Kilsyth and Nunawading will do battle in the NBL1 women’s preliminary final at the Kilsyth Sports Centre on Saturday night (tipoff 6pm).