ALTHOUGH his team could not get over the line, Juwan Stepney did all he could to get the Woodville Warriors past the Forestville Eagles in the NBL1 Central Men’s competition over the weekend.

The two sides faced off at St Clair Recreation Center on Saturday night, in what could be a preview of the finals, which kick off after the last round this weekend. Both sides are in contention for the ultimate prize, although the Eagles came into this clash as the favourites given their standing inside the top two. However, they faced off against an opponent that had been just as dangerous for much of the season, setting up an exciting battle.

In one of the most high-scoring games of the season, both teams delivered potent offence, putting plenty of points on the board in entertaining fashion. It was a game of ebbs and flows as each side enjoyed their fair share of momentum in the second and third quarters. The Warriors trailed by seven points heading into the last after the penultimate period belonged to Forestville. Woodville gave it everything in the last 10 minutes of play, but fell two points short as the Eagles held on for a stirring two-point win.

The Warriors may have been bested by the visitors, but Stepney’s performance was the biggest talking point of the match, delivering an astounding scoring performance that almost drove his side to victory.

Woodville Warriors (113) def. by Forestville Eagles (115)

Jawan Stepney – 49 points, six rebounds, seven assists, two steals

Stepney was a massive factor in the Warriors pushing one of the best sides in the competition, putting the team on his back on the scoring front and nearly get to a winning total.

Registering 49 of his team’s 113 points for the game, Stepney was a serious offensive force for the home side.

He shot a remarkable 19/31 from the field, often creating his own shot and leaving the defence astounded by his ability to create space. Some of the shots Stepney were nailing were seriously impressive, and the other players on the court probably could not do the same.

Stepney was making baskets from all across the half-court, and played a crucial role during Woodville’s dominant patches. He poured in a whopping 18 points in the second quarter alone, helping the Warriors to a half-time lead. Although the Eagles ended up overcoming the deficit and led late in the fourth, Stepney tied things up with just seconds remaining with some clutch free throws.

Although a jumpshot from Adam Doyle with under 10 seconds remaining was the deciding shot, Stepney was the entire reason the Warriors were in the game to begin with, leading the way with a marvellous scoring performance and showcasing how deep his offensive bag is.