Slammers snuff out Flames (picture gallery)

The Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers completed a stunning turn-around and broke through to claim their first WSBL title after an 85-48 demolition of Rockingham in tonight’s grand final at the WA Basketball Centre.

Picture gallery from the Grand Final. Pix by David Bailey

The victory was the final frontier for the Slammers, who finished second-last in 2011 but rose from the doldrums this season to lift the silverware.

Import Kim Sitzmann turned in a glittering MVP performance for the South West side finishing the game with 24 points and 12 rebounds.

Kara Hargreaves saved her best performance of the year to last helping herself to 22 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. Zoe Harper scored 15 points.

The result could hardly have been a better celebration for Slammers’ captain Lisa Cartwright, who played her 250th WSBL game in the grand final.

Meanwhile, it was a disappointing night for Rockingham star Emma Cannon, who fouled out mid-way through the final term with 12 points and five rebounds to her name. She had led the competition in both statistics this season.

Regardless of the result, it was going to be a Cinderella story – but it was the Slammers who made the shoe fit.

Rockingham, who won the wooden spoon in 2011, had also completed a massive revival this season to join the South West team in the decider.

The Slammers did their damage early and led by 10 points at quarter time.

In a nervy opening between the two grand final debutants, Sitzmann was ice cool.

She sparked her side with three first quarter triples to set up the early advantage. By the end of the period Sitzmann had already accumulated 14 points.

At the other end of the court Cannon and Rockingham captain Kaye Tucker were well held, managing only nine points between them.

Rockingham came at the South West side early in the second term, but could not make any headway into the advantage.

Harper produced a big quarter to have 11 points by half-time and ensure the Slammers headed to the rooms with a comfortable 14-point lead, 40-26.

For the Flames, Tucker was in everything in a gutsy performance and had 11 points at the long break. Cannon had just six and was in foul trouble with three against her name.

There was more pain for Rockingham as the Slammers lead ballooned to 21 points in the third quarter before being hauled back in by the final change.

But the South West side still held a comfortable 62-45 advantage at the final change thanks mainly to Hargreaves who was in everything and already had seven assists.

Any hope of a Flames revival was snuffed early in the last term when Hargreaves landed a three-point bomb inside the opening minute.

And to the singing and chanting of a hefty Slammers’ contingent in the near-1000 strong crowd the South West side began to write an exciting new chapter in their history.