SYDNEY: The following is a special finals edition of the wrap of all the week's Finals action, courtesy of the Homenetmen Antranig Chapter committee.

THE SCOREBOARD - SPECIAL FINALS EDITION

Antranig Senior Women B - NSBA Finals

Line Up:
Aghajanian, Natalie
Agon, Alineh
Batrounian, Leanna
Der Tateossian, Vivien
Gulumian, Tamar
Kanjian, Stephanie
Keoroghlanyan, Talar
Kortian, Ani
Stepanian, Aleen

Coach: Momdjian, Michael

**** SEMI FINAL ****
Sunday, 20 September 2009
8:00pm @ Rooftop - Court 4
Homenetmen Antranig vs Loose Tigers
LOSS: 35 - 36 (Overtime)

The first ever appearance in the finals saw our young girls take on the 1st place Loose Tigers. The match see-sawed throughout it's entire duration, with both sides stepping up the defensive intensity. The Loose Tigers used their height to their advantage by cleaning up several 2nd chance opportunities to keep the scores close, whilst the Antranig girls used their quickness up the court and their ball rotation to get looks at the basket.
As the game went on and the lead continued to change constantly, the strong Antranig contingent in the crowd started to urge their girls on. With only 5 mins play and Antranig down by 6 points, 16 year old Stephanie Kanjian, the youngest girl on the court, came up with 3 mins of domination grabbing 5 rebounds and 3 steals in a matter of minutes, to help her team tie the game with 3.2 seconds left on the clock.

A timeout saw the girls inbound the ball in their half, and as time expired, Natalie Aghajanian shot a left handed 3 pointer to win the game, only to see it hit the back of the rim and the game going into overtime.

In the 5 minute overtime period, it was a true battle with and it looked as though our girls would run away with a victory as Tamar Gulumian began to really heat up, sinking 3 quick baskets in succession. However with 5.4 seconds left on the clock, the Loose Tigers were put on the free-throw line to shoot what happened to be the game winning free-throw, sending the Loose Tigers to the Grand Final and our Antranig girls into a knock out match against the Roaring Forties.

**** PRELIMINARY ELIMINATION FINAL ****
Sunday, 27 September 2009
7:00pm @ Rooftop - Court 2
Homenetmen Antranig vs Roaring Forties
LOSS: 30 - 38

It was do or die for the girls against the Roaring Forties who had finished 3rd in the competition. Our Antranig girls looked ready for the match with a great warm up session in front of the biggest crowd during the finals series.

Early on the teams traded baskets, as both teams tried to find their groove, and it was a baseline cut from Alineh Agon who got our girls into a shooting momentum through their trademark swing motion. Soon after the girls enjoyed the majority of the possession and had their opportunity to take the game away.

The girls enjoyed an 6 point lead at halftime, but from the outset in the 2nd half the Roaring Forties #11 looked to assert her mark on the game. She sank a number of baskets and assisted others to see the lead change hands, and with 6 mins left in the game, it was the Roaring Forties up by 6 points.

Although our girls dominated on possession, it seemed like one of those nights where the ball wouldn't go in the hoop for them. However knowing that they faced elimination, they fought it out in the dying minutes, to have the match end in regulation in yet another tie 28 - 28; sending the girls into another overtime match.

The Roaring Forties dominated the 5 mins overtime period, to knock out our girls from reaching the Grand Final game.

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Antranig Senior Men C - NSBA Finals

Line Up:
Aboulian, Aret
Dawson, Mitch
Escalante, Jaime (DNP - overseas)
Jambazian, Vicken
Kayaian, Armen
Kouchkrian, Joseph
Michaelian, Narek
Youmshajekian, Varak

Coach: Kayaian, Armen

**** ELIMINATION SEMI FINAL ****
Thursday, 24 September 2009
8:00pm @ Rooftop - Court 2
Homenetmen Antranig vs Soaring Eagles A
LOSS: 35 - 40

The elimination final saw 3rd place Antranig play against the 4th place Soaring Eagles. Antranig was up 2 - 0 against the Eagles in their season series, however the Eagles beat our Antranig boys in the last game of the season to end the season series 2 - 1. Antranig looked to avenge their loss, and progress to the Preliminary Finals.

The game looked to be a high scoring affair with both teams averaging more than 50points a game, but it didn't start well for Antranig as their inspirational point guard Narek Michaelian went down with a groin strain. He resumed to play, however the damage was evident as he looked uncomfortable striding up and down the court.

The Soaring Eagles identified and did their best to suffocate Antranig's main scorer Vicken Jambazian, but Vicken managed to get some early baskets and the Antranig boys went on with a small lead into half time with an exception spin post-move by Joseph Kouchkrian.

Antranig led by as much as 8 points, but a come back by the Eagles was on the cards, as their big centre began to use his size to get constant looks at the basket. This inspired the other Eagles to step up and with 7 minutes left on the clock the Soaring Eagles held a 6-point lead.

Player/Coach Armen Kayaian switched the defensive structure to a man-to-man defence and our boys' intensity upped, as they edged the score back to tie the game in the last minute.

The Eagle's scored a basket with 45 seconds remaining on the clock to take the score to 40 - 42. With minimal time left 2 controversial referee calls were made to gift the Soaring Eagles possession, and with Antranig already in over the foul limit, they aimed to send the Eagles to the free-throw line on every possession.

With seconds left on the clock, the score was 40-43 and our boys had to opportunities to take the game tying 3point shot to send the game into overtime, however both shots fell short and the Soaring Eagles countered to score the last bucket of the game on a fast-break to take on the game and knock out our boys in dramatic fashion in a low-scoring affair by their standards, 35 - 40.
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Antranig Senior Men A - NSBA Finals

Line Up:
Boghossian, Hratch
Boghossian, Paul
Boyadjian, Shant
Demirdjian, Edward
Deyirmendjian, Zareh
Ferhad, Steve
Hekimian, Shant
Jambazian, Vicken
Nasri, Eli
Shohmelian, Leon

Coach: Zarigian, Roupen

**** ELIMINATION SEMI FINAL ****
Tuesday 22 September 8:00pm
Homenetmen Antranig Men A vs Norway
LOSS: 44 - 47

Going in with a 7 game winning streak, and dominating opposition by an average of a 25 point winning margin our Senior Men team had a small handicap to get pass, and that was the 10 point automatic handicap lead given to Norway.

Early on the boys fed the ball to Steve Ferhad in their new motion play and Steve dominated early to erase the 10-point handicap and have the Antranig men lead 12 - 10. It was here where Norway kicked into gear and we had another tight game on our hands.

Antranig stuck with their set plays and solid defence down low to hold a lead going into the half time break, and looked to have the momentum shift towards them.

Conversely Norway came out of the blocks in the 2nd half firing, with their defensive full-court pressure lifting their intensity. The 2nd saw the momentum of the game constantly shift to either team throughout the remainder of the match; until Norway grinded to get a slight lead by 2 points and slowed the game immensely, by holding onto the ball for sets lasting as long as 1 minute frustrating the Antranig defence.

Hratch Boghossian hit a crucial 3-pointer to bring the game within 1 point with only a couple of minutes remaining, however Norway employed their strategy to hold up their plays to hold their lead as the time ticked down, and Antranig had no other option but send them to the line, where Norway extended their lead, and kept their lead to win the game by 5 points and knocking out our senior men team from the finals.
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JUNIOR BASKETBALL WRAP

Friday
After a slow start and down 8-10 at half time, the Under 14 Boys have an incredible 2nd half to keep the Maroon Falcons scoreless in the 2nd half and eventually win convicingly 32 - 10

Friday
Under 16 boys go down in a close encounter against the Falcons Black 20 - 25

Saturday
Our Miniballers put up a fight against the Warriors but are defeated 12 - 26

To enquire about playing Football or Basketball at Homenetmen Antranig contact the Antranig Committee at hmemantranig@gmail.com.