ALTHOUGH his team fell one win short of the ultimate prize, Joondalup Wolves forward Quintin Dove could not have done much more in the NBL1 West Men’s grand final over the weekend.

The Wolves took on the Geraldton Buccaneers in the big dance at Bendat Basketball Centre on Saturday night in the deciding clash between the two best sides in the competition for 2023. Joondalup snuck past the Flames with a three-point win in the preliminary final, while the Buccaneers had no problems in their matchup against the Redbacks, and came in as the favourites given their strong form. However, the Wolves had put together a strong season themselves, and were still a solid chance of standing up in the grand final.

The match could have gone either way after a back and forth start to the contest. Both sides looked capable of landing the knockout blow, but heading into the last change, the Wolves had an eight-point lead going into the last period and all the momentum. However, the Buccaneers stormed home in the fourth quarter, outscoring the opposition 28-14 and claiming not only a remarkable win, but also the West Men’s title in the process.

Although the result did not go its way, Joondalup was well served by the performance of Dove, who carried the offence with a smouldering scoring showing.

Geraldton Buccaneers (86) def. Joondalup Wolves (80)

Quintin Dove – 34 points, seven rebounds

Dove was as damaging as any individual on the court, powering his side to a near-match winning lead heading into the last quarter.

His 34 points were the most of any player on the court, torching the defence with a masterful scoring display on the big stage. Dove was the go-to player for the Wolves and he delivered in a big way, proving to be a capable scorer across all three levels.

The American native shot an accurate 13/25 from the field, doing his best work inside the paint. From two-point territory, Dove nailed 10 shots on 17 attempts, looking to slice the defence open with his relentless attack on the hoop.

Dove also tried his hand at three-point shooting, splashing home three triples and showing his confidence with eight attempts from behind the arc. Although not his biggest strength, he showed he can stretch the floor if the defence drops off.

His desire to conjure offence from inside the paint also saw Dove draw plenty of contact and make his way to the free throw line. Although he could have been more accurate from the charity stripe (making just five free throws on 10 attempts), it was still a crucial way to keep his side’s offence ticking over.

Dove was the sole reason his side nearly snagged an upset victory in the grand final, delivering a magnificent offensive performance and can hold his head high.