The Harbour boys A team needed to beat a very strong ACM1 team to see themselves through to the Grand Final of the 2015 U15 National Championships.

The semi-final started well for Harbour as Logan McIntosh and Miggy Falqueza got layups to go. ACM coach Tim Dennis didn’t like what he saw first up from his boys as he called timeout with only a few minutes gone in the first.

Jared Thornton was in early foul trouble as his physical presence inside the key was called as sceptical fouls.

ACM have one of the best players in the country in Marvin Williams-Dunn and he showed why hitting two three pointers in the first period, one of them as the shot clock buzzer sounded.

Harbour made several tough inside shots without any fouls being called just as ACM began hitting all of their shots.

Terence Abdon hit a long three at the buzzer, his second of the quarter, as Harbour edged ahead 25-22 at the end of one.

Willams-Dunn hit two ridiculous threes early in the second and was 4/4 from three before missing the pull-up heat check that everyone knew was coming.

Reimar Cruz from Harbour had a strong second period as he made a tough two, drew contact and knocked down both freethrows, then had a pretty left hand lay up to carry the scoring load for the quarter.

At the half ACM had pushed ahead 41-39 after winning the second quarter 19-14.

The third quarter started with another  Willams-Dunn buzzer beating three from way beyond the three point line and he turned and chuckled at the shots he was making.

The Harbour offense was stuck in mud with Logan McIntosh sitting on the bench and needed his leadership and skills back on the court to have a chance of winning the game.

Thornton made a post up two which was his first bucket far too late in the game for any Harbour supporters liking. He followed this up with another post up score and cleaned the glass easily getting above the smaller ACM team.

ACM remained ahead after three with a 62-59 advantage however the law of averages suggested that ACM’s hot shooting was unsustainable and that Harbour would be able to make a run.

In the fourth ACM stretched the lead out with continued high performance shooting. Harbour was carried by McIntosh with a sprinkling of Falqueza as the third member of the big three, Thornton, sat on the bench with four fouls.

At 73-68 with three minutes to go Falqueza hit a quick two, which was followed by a, back on the court, Thornton bucket to have Harbour only down one.

Abdon then put Harbour ahead with a leaning jumper and the two teams traded the lead before Harbour went up three after Thornton made two freethrows.

ACM then made a clutch corner three in front of their bench and Harbour wasn’t able to get a good shot at the buzzer as the semi went into overtime.

The overtime period was a tense affair and both teams remained close to one another. The stars from Harbour featured heavily as Thornton, McIntosh, and Falqueza all made tough hoops.

Ultimately it was Harbour up three with less than four seconds remaining and ACM with no time outs left. Marvin Williams-Dunn was left alone, for fear of fouling, to catch the ball and dribble to half way where he launched his game tying attempt.

Luckily for Harbour, Williams-Dunn wouldn’t make his sixth three of the night as it bounced off the backboard and the A team celebrated a birth in the Grand Final.