Sport

Gallery | Second-half fadeout proves costly for Gators, women claim a final-round win

By Josh Huntly

Aug 3, 2026

Whittlesea's Gabe Evans and Gator's Joseph Allen. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

Shepparton Gators’ quest to jump out of the Big V’s division one relegation zone fell agonisingly short after succumbing to Whittlesea in the final round of the season.

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Riding a two-game winning streak and desperate to climb out of the bottom two, Shepparton hosted the Pacers at the Swamp on Saturday night and looked every bit the part, taking a six-point lead into the main break.

Josh Kooiman (28 points, nine rebounds) and American import Joseph Allen (29 points, 14 rebounds) were the standout contributors up forward, while Taine Wattie put in a tireless shift across the court.

But the Pacers returned with a vengeance.

Whittlesea outscored Shepparton by seven points in the third quarter and then 10 in the final term to shatter Gator hopes, running out 99-89 winners.

The defeat sees the Gators finish in ninth spot with a shared 5-13 record with Coburg.

Meanwhile, Shepparton’s division two women finished on a high note with a 61-49 win over RMIT.

Tan Fung Ma dropped 16 points and nine rebounds and Yu-shan Hsieh’s 18 and seven spurred the Gators to their third win of the season, giving the side plenty to work with looking ahead to 2027.

News photographer Rechelle Zammit roved the sideline at Shepparton Sports Stadium to capture the final games of the Big V season.