The City Rise Bombers made full use of their star power, asserting their dominance early to claim their first Dunedin men’s club basketball title in emphatic fashion on Saturday.
Matthew Bardsley led the way with 30 points, as the Bombers rampaged to a 95-62 win over the Mid City Lions in the league’s final.
The points came freely for the Bombers, both Bardsley and Robbie Coman (20 points) getting to the hoop and finishing at will.
Caleb Smiler chipped in with 14, while Hamish Robertson and Olly Smith made handy contributions with 12 and 10 respectively.
But it was what they did on the defensive end that won this one.
They suffocated the Lions from the get-go. That largely negated the key threats and held leading scorers Christopher Christof and Lachie Cameron to 15 points each.
The Lions struggled to get a clean look at the hoop in the first quarter.
It took them eight minutes to score their first field goal, which turned out to be their only one of the first quarter.
From those stops the Bombers pushed the pace, allowing the likes of Bardsley to attack in transition, where he can be so dangerous.
And that became a tough cycle to break.
It was always going to be a tough ask for the Lions. They are a young team who have punched well above their weight all season, and will be a force going forward.
They were faced with that relentless defence from the start, while Coman and Bardsley finished around the hoop to take the Bombers to an early 10-2 lead.
Those points dried up for a spell, and if the Lions were to pull back, it had to be then.
But they were unable to capitalise.
Tough defence helped the Bombers maintain their advantage, before Bardsley finished at the hoop to reignite the offence.
Smith followed by knocking down a pair of triples to take it to 18-4, with just six minutes gone.
From there Bardsley continued to stamp his authority on the game.
He finished with 12 points in the first quarter, as the Bombers led 24-7 at the first break.
Cameron (15 points) came off a screen and got to the hoop to open the scoring for the Lions on the first possession of the second quarter.
But if a comeback was ever sniffed, the Bombers quickly stamped it out.
Robertson scored back-to-back baskets, before Coman took over and propelled the Bombers to a 53-29 halftime lead.
Bardsley continued to chip away for the Bombers, to lead 74-53 at the final break, before a strong finish took the final margin beyond 30.
The win was the Bombers’ first A grade title, the team having appeared in five previous finals, the most recent being in 2018.
