The last time the two teams met, Horsham won in overtime, and this game promised to be a thriller. 

The Heat applied pressure right from the beginning of the game in what was a welcome test of the Hornets’ abilities heading into the finals series. 

There were plenty of missed shots from both sides in a low-scoring opening quarter, with the Heat maintaining a narrow two-point lead at the end of the first term. 

Matt Lovel quickly equalled things up at the start of the second, but from there the Heat dominated the early stages of the quarter. 

Mildura opened up a 10-point lead with four minutes left in the quarter, with their tall players standing strong in defence. The Hornets were forced into low-percentage shots as Mildura looked to take a handy lead into the half-time break. 

However, as Horsham have continuously done throughout the season when put under pressure, they responded.

Playing-coach Cam Bruce scored two points and then followed it up with an emphatic three-pointer to reduce the gap to five. 

Tim Pickert then did the same, scoring a basket and a three-pointer as well as heading to the line for two free throw attempts, both successful, before the break. Mildura’s lead was again at two points at the half-time break, the scoreboard reading 36-38.

A Mitch Martin three-pointer to start the second quarter had the Hornets back in front and with the momentum. 

Matt Lovel’s class shone through throughout the quarter as he scored six valuable points. Damien Skurrie was also important, both in defence and offence, and he chipped in with six points as well in a solid quarter for the Hornets. 

Horsham opened up an eight-point lead at the end of the third, as Mildura felt the effects of the Hornets scoring abilities. 

The Hornets did not allow Mildura back into the game in the final quarter, as they made sure to secure top spot on the ladder. 

Two points from Bruce at the start of the quarter stretched the lead to 14 points, while a James Hallet three-pointer with three minutes left had the Hornets up by 18.

The final scoreline read 72-54 in favour of the Hornets in what was not a dominant display, but perhaps their most impressive of the season considering the quality of their opponents. 

Lovel top scored for the game with 15 points, while Pickert was not far off with 13. 11 points from Skurrie, eight from Damien Kilpatrick and Bruce and help from Hallet, seven, and Jake Hobbs, six, ensured Horsham would finish the regular season on top of the ladder. 

Bruce said he was pleased with how the team responded after going down early.

“I thought our second half was really good,” he said.

“The way we played defensively was the standard we want to set. I was really pleased with how we responded and put the game away in the second half.”

Bruce said Lovel played a solid game and helped the team gain momentum. 

“He is a very underrated player. He gets in the right spots and if you find him he is pretty good around the ring and will usually put the ball in the basket,” he said.

“The Hornets will now play a home semi-final on February 3.

“We aren’t getting too far ahead of ourselves,” Bruce said. “We need to keep building hopefully for the grand final.”