Basketball On The Internet.

AND that is why, just when you think you might be getting a fraction jaded, you find you still passionately love basketball.

And that NO, you haven't seen it all.

I'm referring, in this instance, to tonight's State league grand finals in South Australia, where Norwood Flames scalded North Adelaide Rockets for the women's crown and Forestville Eagles soared back from the brink of disaster to shatter Sturt in overtime.

It was a night to remember, even if the Flames were always going to be too good for North. For me, it was a joy to watch Jess Foley open the scoring and dominate the early going.

Jess has had a chequered history in big games and was noticeably inconspicuous in last year's grand final loss to Forestville.

A lot of people want to believe that as a writer/critic/analyst, you don't especially care for a player or a coach when you subject them to unflattering scrutiny.

The reality is often a 180-degree turn from that and you, as the writer, know full well that any friendship or solid working relationship you have with that player/coach is going to be harmed when you do your job and state the facts, if those facts are unpleasant.

So no, it was never a joy to have to point out when the legendary Al Green went missing in a big game, but if it had a major bearing on the outcome, it was not something you could ignore.

In the same way, I must confess to ecstatic joy when the Mean Machine shook those mental shackles in the deciding Game 3 of the 1986 NBL Grand Final and I could write how magnificently he had performed.

So as Foley strung together six straight points of her 10 in the first half and 20 in the 87-67 victory, she wasn't the only person happy she had done it.

From 33-29 ahead with 4:41 left in the second quarter, Norwood wrested control of the contest and not even Jo Hill's finest efforts would make much difference.

Kelsey Ireland jagged a jumpshot, then North's pivot Jamie-Lee Peris dropped a pass which led to Amy Lewis speeding off on a lay-up. Peris backed that up with an ill-conceived outside shot on the next play and Lewis was off to the races again, the lead out to 10.

Three-pointers by Ireland and Phoebe Custance made it a 12-2 run to the main interval, in a 22-10 period.

A 21-12 third quarter, with North harassed on its way to 20 turnovers, left the final quarter to be little more than a formality before Norwood could claim its prize.

Lewis won the MVP, but Foley was the player for whom I was happiest.

So on to the men's game and you had to love the tenacity, skill and intensity of Tom James-Martin's Sturt kids.

Forestville, the reigning champion with the guns and smart vets, started well behind Trent Fildes and Adam Doyle, who had seven points apiece in their 22-17 first break lead.

But there was much to like about the way Tom Daly was going after everything for Sturt, how Tim Klaosen had opened and how Adam Gavranich came off the bench to bang in some quick points.

The Sabres may have been trailing, but they seemed to have a spirit missing from the Forestville troop.

When Darren Ng started the second period with a fist-pumping three-point-play, there was the sniff of upset in the air. Stefan Wright's putback tied it at 22-22 before Brad Sullivan opened the Eagles second quarter scoring.

Gavranich again, then an Ng three ignited a 12-4 Sturt run, briefly interrupted by a nifty Neil Mottram pass for a Brad Haydon bucket.

Mark Bauer was grabbing rebounds and Sturt's roll was only momentarily halted when Mottram dunked.

Ng hit a three in his 10-point period, Mottram slammed another dunk but this time Tom Daly had the answering triple.

Venerable Eagles coach Andrew Simons already had called one time-out to berate his men for what, uncharacteristically, was a listless quarter, made worse when Daly closed the half with a perfectly timed drive to the basket for 46-35.

Sturt had gone 29-13, the margin out to 14 when Ng opened the third term with a three.

The Eagles managed to hang around from there but when Ng started the scoring in the final quarter on a three with 9:06 left in the game, he had 21 points already and Sturt was leading 62-46.

Cue "Eagle Rock" please Mr Music.

Haydon hits a couple, then Brad Gerlach, chasing his first championship after several near misses, drains his only three of the game.

At 65-50 on another Daly three, Sturt still looked full of exuberance but Gerlach's triple signalled the Eagle resurgence was in full flight.

Doyle, who would play the full 45 minutes of regulation and on into an overtime no-one could have foreseen - you gotta love this game - then brought the deficit back to 10 on a fast break.

Sturt called time-out but the Forestville roll barely missed a beat. Doyle for three - was it any surprise he would win grand final MVP? - had it to 58-65 and the Sturt sphincters were tightening.

This is where experience would tell over youth.

Sullivan and Doyle were perfect from the stripe as Sturt's poise and composure disintegrated.

Yes, the officiating was erratic and let far too much go. But it was like that all night and now was not the time to start complaining and losing focus.

But that's what happened as Mottram scored for 64-65 and time-out Sturt with 2:29 left.

Bauer and Marriott (10 boards apiece) were still grabbing key rebounds but when Fildes put back a Doyle miss, the Eagles were in front with 110 seconds to tick.

Bauer restored Sturt's lead, then Doyle from the stripe gave it back to Forestville.

With 65 clicks, Daly stuck a three for 70-68 but Mottram, who was growing with the game, scored for 70-70.

Sturt ran down the clock but Daly's shot for the win missed. Klaosen came up with the big offensive board and Sturt would have a further "final" possession.

Daly went for the triple, it missed and Marriott gleaned the offensive board, but hurriedly missed from point blank. He got that rebound back, then missed again when his shot from three feet only travelled two.

Overtime, when men who have been there-done that, know what to do and enthusiastic young lions, who have squandered a 16-point lead, now wonder how to win.

Forestville had the first seven points of the o/t, Doyle and Mottram responsible for all of them, and it was hard to see how the Sabres could get back.

Sam Daly's three with 1:29 left, gave them a heartbeat but Doyle-to-Mottram made it very faint.

With time running out, Sturt had to foul and the lead blew out to 82-73 before Tom Daly banged in a three inside the final 30 seconds.

But that was the last hurrah as Haydon closed the game out from the free throw line.

He was a perfect 10-of-10 in his 16 points, the crowd at Adelaide Arena on its feet having witnessed another quite extraordinary and thoroughly unexpected night.

No, Sturt's inability to handle the fightback was, I guess, entirely predictable, just as is the fact if they can keep this team together next year, it will take something very special to beat them.

This time around, out of the blue, Forestville found something special.

It was grand final night. What a night to find it.