IN a spectacular overtime affair Celtix managed to finish off their Portland Basketball Association division one men’s preliminary final clash three points in front of Shawnee Blue to earn a spot in Sunday’s grand final.

The Wednesday night match up went down to the wire with nothing separating the sides on the scoreboard at the end of the 40 minutes, forcing the game into overtime.

Celtix managed to hold off an energised Shawnee side to earn the three-point win and a spot in Sunday’s grand final against Tigersharks Gold.

Another three-point shooting showcase was at the centre of Celtix’s victory with Ty Deans slotting six for the match and top scoring with 21 points.

The first half was neck and neck with Celtix edging ahead by just one point.

Both teams were using their ability to find space in the key to convert on the scoreboard with their drive forcing defensive structures on the backfoot.

The foul count was high across both sides with Celtix making the most of their chances at the free-throw line slotting 10 points from the line.

The second half played out much like the first with both teams picking up their defensive efforts and forcing turnovers.

It was in overtime where Celtix put their foot down and stamped their authority on the match, limiting Shawnee’s scoring opportunities and pushing the margin out to three points to end Shawnee’s season and head into Sunday’s grand final.

Deans top scored for his side while Jackson Dunlop was also crucial in offence slotting 16 points.

For Shawnee it was Aiden Rogers who led the charge on the scoreboard with 19 points followed by Jed Lucas on 10 points.

Celtix take on Tigersharks Gold in season decider

The grand final will be a relatively unknown match up between Celtix and Tigersharks Gold on Sunday.

The two sides have met just twice this season with neither team showcasing their full line ups on both occasions.

In the two matches Celtix has recorded convincing wins, 53-34 and 68-46 but the sides haven’t met since round nine.

Tigersharks Gold line up has been recently boosted by the inclusion of Hayden Annett who is creating plenty of play for the young side.

Tigersharks Gold will take plenty of confidence into the match, having not suffered a loss since round nine; however, the side hasn’t had a solid run heading into the finals series with three of their last nine matches being forfeits as well as the week off last week after winning the first semi-final.

Athleticism is a huge factor in Tigersharks Gold’s success with their youngsters Toby Jennings, Jack Burton and Jack Walsh uncanny in their ability to drive and provide defensive stops.

Celtix will look to play with plenty of control and use their outside shooting range and strength inside the key to nullify Tigersharks.

The game kicks off at 5pm on Sunday.