THE 2019 Waratah League season is officially over for Scott Balsar and his Kennedy's Tours Shoalhaven Tigers, after they went down to the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 68-56 - in the last senior representative fixture to ever be played the Den.
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Needing a win to keep their season alive, Balsar's youth men's side struggled out of the gate and trailed 21-10 at the end of the first quarter.
The lead ballooned to 22 points by half-time, as the hosts went into the main break behind 41-19.
But with their season on the line, coach Balsar rallied his troops.
"At the break, I emphasised we had been in this position before and we were not out of it," Balsar said.
"Obviously we hadn't played our best half of basketball, with our defensive intensity and boxing out letting us down, but if we gradually chipped away at the lead, anything was possible."
This speech helped the black and golds trim their deficit to 15, going into the final quarter.
The Cubs continued to press and behind the hot shooting of guard Josh Watts, the closed the margin to just eight with 2.04 on the clock.
But that would be as close as the hosts got, as the Sea Eagles went on to win 68-56 - despite Watts (15 points), Gavin Costain (12) and Riley O'Shannessy (11) all scoring in double figures.
"The boys were courageous in their fightback but down the stretch, we failed to convert - which was compounded by Manly hitting a couple of big shots," Balsar said.
"It was just one of those games that didn't fall out way."
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Although the Cubs fell at the final hurdle before finals, Balsar is proud of his troops performance on the hardwood - which saw them finish 11-11 on the year.
"This year has been a mental and physical grind," he said.
"22 rounds, including double-headers, and only two weeks off, was gruelling and something most of the boys had never experienced.
"To step up from division two, with our young squad and finish mid-table, is an extraordinary effort.
"I couldn't be happier the way the boys fought to the end and did the black and gold jersey proud."
Saturday's loss also marked the final time Balsar will coach in black and gold colours within the Den.
"There were definitely some mixed emotions on Saturday, especially after the game," Balsar said.
"I've played and coached, among other roles, in the Den for close to 40 years and for that to be my last time there in a competitive setting, was quite bittersweet.
"We've made some great memories at the Den, including numerous banners, but it's an exciting time for the Tigers now, as the club moves into the new Shoalhaven Indoor Sports Centre from next season."