The Bay was the top team in the conference in 2015 and faced Moss Vale in the first game.

The Breakers started slowly and quickly trailed by a margin which blew out to 16 points at one stage.

Batemans Bay fought back with superb passing and ball movement to win by three points at the final buzzer.

Batemans Bay’s captain/coach Paul Martin said all players contributed and played hard against a well-coached, younger and faster team. 

The Breakers were undefeated against a strong Milton-Ulladulla Basketball Association team this season.

However, that changed at the finals as Milton’s defence denied the Bay’s frontline attack.

Milton attacked the Bay’s zone defence and scored well with above the rim play and accurate shooting.

Batemans Bay changed to man on man defence which immediately stopped the barrage.

Despite improving shot selection in and brilliant inside play by Matthew Boardman and Darryl Withers, the Breakers were unable to gain enough ground and lost by 13 points. 

Batemans Bay’s final game of the season was against the Illawarra Hawks, who presented a well-rounded team with fast guards and talented talls.

The Breakers started brilliantly thanks to Angus Armstrong, who nailed four three-pointers to establish a healthy lead.

However, strong inside play from the Illawarra’s bigs whittled the lead down and by half-time the Hawks had a slim lead. 

The Breakers offence broke down in the second half but their defence kept them out of touch by a slim margin.

The Hawks frontline hit eight three-pointers in the match which was the difference in the six-point win. 

Illawarra finished first overall ahead of Milton-Ulladulla, Batemans Bay and Moss Vale.  

Martin said the men’s Barrengarry Conference was always a close affair with most teams evenly matched. 

“It’s the camaraderie and sportsmanship that make this competition such a pleasure to play in, everyone goes hard but understands that it’s all for the joy of the game,” he said.

“This year was more interesting with the inclusion of a range of 18-year-old squad teams, who also represent their areas in the Southern Junior League. 

“It was a great experience for the young fellas and we hope they’ve picked up some hardness and extra court savvy from us older blokes.”

Martin praised the committee for organising a quality competition for the Breakers to play in.