On Sunday it was Horsham that got away to a fast start however, leading 24-15 at the first change behind 17 first-quarter points from star Austin McKenzie.
But the game shifted in the second quarter after McKenzie went to the bench with his third foul.
Although Micah Livingstone picked up the scoring slack for the Hornets and Cody Bryan stepped up on the defensive end, the team struggled to contain the Lindeblad brothers Oliver, Sebastian and Ethan, Ararat coach Josh Fiegert and guard Wilbur Shea.
The visitors trimmed the deficit to a single point near the end of the third quarter, putting Horsham at risk of a final-game letdown.
But Horsham coach Scott Benbow said he was pleased with the way his team responded, outscoring Ararat 30-10 in the final quarter to seal a 95-73 win.
“We went back to our structures a little bit and they probably started to tire a bit too, because they had played pretty much the same five for the first three quarters,” he said.
“But credit to Ararat and Josh – they came out with nothing to lose and they shot the ball really well.
“They took their opportunities and they were certainly better than us in the second quarter.
“Then the third quarter was a bit of a slog.
“They’re a big side too. They have three or four boys who are six-foot-four and above, and they rebounded really well.
“We wanted a tough game leading into the finals and we certainly got one.”
McKenzie finished the game with 33 points and Livingstone had 31, but Benbow said it was the final quarter, in which nine separate Hornets players scored, that would provide a blueprint for Saturday night’s semi-final against Millicent.
“Absolutely we want a variety of scorers in the finals. That’s been a strength for us,” he said.
“Mitch only had three points, but he distributed the ball very well, and he’ll get hot here in front of a big home crowd on Saturday night and start cranking up some threes.
“We’ll share the load. Cody Bryan had seven and his effort defensively was a masterclass.
“I’m a bit biased, but I think he’s the best defensive player in the competition.”
Benbow said Horsham would be wary of Millicent – the only team to beat the Hornets this season.
“They’re quick and athletic, and they play pretty similar to us,” he said.
“We’re mindful that they got us in the first round, but we didn’t have Micah and Aussie in that game, so we look a bit different now.
“We’ll train hard this week and work on a few ideas of how to stop their main players Jackson Bowden and Frazer Bradley.
“They’re two dynamic players, so we’ll have to be at our best defensively.
“It starts on the defensive end for us this week.”
With the grand final to be played at a neutral court in Portland, Benbow said Saturday night’s game was the Horsham crowd’s final opportunity to create an intimidating environment for the visitors.
“Playing at home always gives us a boost, especially on a Saturday night,” he said.
“It’ll be full. We’ve had people reaching out for tickets already so we’re expecting a crowd of 400-plus.
“The boys love the big crowds and they play up to it for sure. Hopefully we can get the win and book our ticket to the grand final.”
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