THE Geraldton Buccaneers planned to come down to Rockingham last weekend to beat the Flames in Game 1 of the SBL quarter finals. They did that. But nobody could have predicted the dramatic way it eventuated and coach Aaron Trahair couldn’t have been more proud of his group.

The Buccs and Flames were all ready to go in Game 1 on Saturday night at Mike Barnett Sports Complex before a power blackout caused by a nearby fatal accident left the venue in darkness.

Both clubs waited in the hope the power would come back on in time, but more than an hour after the scheduled tip-off it hadn’t happened and the decision was made to return on Sunday afternoon.

And for much of the contest it was Rockingham on target to the claim the Game 1 win at home with Geraldton missing the all-round abilities of Matthew Adekponya, but in his absence Jackson Hussey came up huge and with plenty of support from his teammates, the Buccs pulled off a stunning comeback.

They won in the end 107-105 with their fourth quarter including a remarkable 20-2 run to get back into the game and now the Buccs return home to Geraldton this weekend with two opportunities to secure the series victory to book a berth in the SBL semi finals.

Week 1 Sunday Men's SBL Quarter Final wrap 

It certainly didn’t pan out the way Trahair was expecting when planning his first playoff game in charge as a head coach, but he couldn’t have been happier with the way it turned out by the time he headed home on Sunday night.

On top of Hussey's dominant showing, Maurice Barrow contributed 27 points, seven assists, five rebounds and three steals along with Carter Cook's 16 points and eight boards, Mat Wundenberg's 10 points and six rebounds, and Aaron Ralph's eight points and nine boards.

"The plan was to come down to try and get the win. We knew it was a crucial and must-win sort of game for Rockingham because of the difficulty of the travel and us having Games 2 and 3 at home," Trahair said.

"History shows that trying to win this first game goes a heck of a long way to winning the series.

"So after a few headaches and a few things out of our control, we finally got the game over and done with, and came away with a really pleasing win and the way it was won made it pretty special for where we came from and the way we won. It was a heck of an effort from the guys."

With Adekponya not there to open the finals, Trahair needed the rest of his group to stand up and it was his point guard Hussey who he looked to pre-game to do that.

He couldn’t have predicted just how stunning a performance he would deliver, though, finishing with 39 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals on 16-of-28 shooting from the field to help deliver the Buccs the huge comeback victory.

"He was outstanding, he really was. Before the game I said to him that without Adekponya he would have to shoulder a bit more of the offensive burden and he really appreciated that extra responsibility," he said.

"He was fantastic especially in that final quarter and the majority of the things we ran for him to make something happen and he certainly did that."

As for Adekponya, Trahair has been told to expect him back from Rio to take in some of the Olympic Games in time for this Saturday's Game 2 at Active West Stadium against the Flames, and he hopes there is no sort of delay or drama that halts his return.

But overall, Trahair couldn’t be happier with what Adekponya has delivered this season for the Buccs to prove himself perhaps the best all-round player in the SBL capable of contributing in every single way on the floor.

It is a long way from when Trahair remembers him as his water boy at the Cairns Taipans in the NBL.

"He is due back Thursday but like anything, when I see him arrive back in Geraldton on Thursday night I will be a happy man. He is due back Thursday so barring any incidents he should be back and available to play this weekend," Trahair said.

"I knew him a little bit because he was a young fella when I was playing a couple of years in Cairns for the Taipans, and he was our water boy.

"Like a lot of those young kids you meet when you are playing, you keep an eye on them when you can to see how they develop and I knew he could play, and that he was talented.

"I knew he was quick and athletic, but he has probably had a bigger impact statistically individually and on the league than I anticipated that he would. I did know that he was a big player but he has probably surprised myself a little bit with the impact he has had.

"The other thing is that he is an exciting player to watch and he gets some bums on seats up in Geraldton and he is a great guy off the court as well. He has been a handy pick up and he is the complete package as a basketballer and person to get into your club."

It's not all about the outstanding natural gifts that Adekponya and Hussey have brought to the Buccs this season, though, that has them one win out of reaching the semi finals.

From the moment Trahair first stepped into the club he was blown away by the dedication, leadership and professionalism of veterans Wundenberg, Cook, Ralph and Luke Wrensted.

He has seen how desperately that core group wants to achieve the ultimate together having been around the mark for a number of years including a 2014 grand final appearance.

"I knew the character of those guys from day one when I got involved in the club and they are as passionate as you can get for a club," Trahair said.

"They have been around for a heck of a long time and played together for a number of years now so ultimately the only reason they still play is to try and get that championship.

"They are pretty selfless in terms of giving up some things for themselves to try and achieve that goal as a team. I have been really impressed with those guys for what they do every week to prepare to play and give up basically the rest of their lives to a certain point to achieve this goal.

"They have given up some of their own statistical side of things with a couple of the guys we've been able to recruit, but that has been a big reason why so far we've been somewhat successful. They really need to continue to do that if we are to achieve what we want to achieve."

Article by Chris Pike
Photo by Natasha Gilmartin