THE NBL1 East Men’s grand finalists have been decided over the weekend, and the Sutherland Sharks booked their spot thanks to an excellent performance from Jordan Mitchell.

Mitchell’s Sharks took on the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence (CoE) in the semi-final at the AIS Basketball and Netball Centre on Saturday afternoon. The winner would face off against the Maitland Mustangs in the big dance for the ultimate prize, while it would be season over for the defeated.

The CoE have been the best side in the competition during the 2023 season, losing just two games throughout the fixture, while the Sharks had been solid without being outstanding, and would need to cause an upset to keep going.

The Sharks stunned everyone with a magnificent first half, jumping out to a 10-point lead thanks to some excellent play on both ends of the court. Remarkably, Sutherland took it to the next level in the third quarter, outscoring Basketball Australia 23-12, and heading into the final quarter with a massive 23-point lead.

Although the game looked over, the CoE showed they were not done yet, clawing their way back into the match with a rampaging final term. The deficit had been whittled down to double-digits in the final minutes, but the Sharks held on for a seven-point lead as time defeated the home side.

Mitchell was a massive presence in the game, proving a vital figure in Sutherland’s most important and most impressive result of the year.

Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence (82) def. by Sutherland Sharks (82)

Jordan Mitchell – 26 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, three steals

Mitchell delivered a best-on performance in his side’s best outing of the season, leading from the front and playing a key role in the win.

He top-scored for the match with 26 points, striking while the defence collapsed on the likes of Lochlan Hutchison and Marquel Beasley, proving an ace up Sutherland’s sleeve.

He sank nine shots on 15 attempts from the field, doing all of his damage from in close. Despite not being the tallest player on the court, Mitchell used his speed to prove extremely dangerous when going downhill. This put the defence on the backfoot and he was able to finish at the rim despite going quite fast.

His ferocity in the open court and desire to attack the rim also resulted in plenty of attempts from the free throw line, where he nailed eight shots on 10 attempts, including some crucial ones at the end of the game when the CoE were truly pushing.

Mitchell was also ruthless in hunting the ball after the opposition fired off a wayward shot from the field, pulling down 11 boards (an equal game-high figure) and was the only Shark to register double-digits in this column.

It was a season-best performance from Mitchell in terms of importance, stating he still has a key role to play in the team’s title quest.