2022 has felt equal parts long and brief for coach Tony Higgins. A delayed start to the season in June was then followed by a hectic schedule of multiple games per fortnight, which usually required a trip to Sydney.

The Thunderbolts juggled both wins and losses through the year, but in recent weeks had struggled to string together consistent form and came in to the final round of the year needing a win to qualify for finals.

They knew their match on Saturday was going to be a tough ask against competition front-runners, the Canberra Nationals Academy, which resulted in a 72-48 loss.

But on Sunday, Tamworth showed "team effort, character, everything" to pull off an eight-point win against Moss Vale Magic.

And it was the night prior to the game, over a beer with assistant coach Jason Darcy, that Higgins began to believe they would qualify.

"We were confident, because we've seen what these girls can do," he said.

"There was a special kind of vibe in today's warm-up. They felt different, they sounded really positive and really keen to get the job done."

Their 100-92 win was by no means perfect. The Thunderbolts made "lots of errors", and nearly had a 10-point lead in the final quarter spoiled thanks to a miraculous three-pointer sunk by the Magic with seconds left on the clock.

But their heart came to the fore in extra time, and Tamworth once again regained their lead and held on to it.

So elated was Higgins with their performance that he began singing at the start of his conversation with the Leader.

"Oh when the Bolts go marching in," he belted out gleefully.

He wasted little time in pointing out the efforts of the team members whose contributions were crucial to the win.

Higgins first thanked Darcy for his unending belief in the team, along with manager Kitty Humble for her "great job keeping the girls focused".

Then it was on to Mikaela Watson, Sami Schuberth, and Emma Higgins, who he applauded for their defensive play.

Lily Darcy (22 points, four three-pointers) came in for recognition, as did Emily Tudman (36 points, three three-pointers) for their scoring.

Amy Gambrill and Zali Humble were also praised for their "pressure on outside shooters" and willingness to chase the ball.

Even with the win, their place in finals was uncertain. Tamworth needed the fifth-ranked Queanbeyan Yowies to lose to Coffs Harbour in the last game of the weekend to be assured of a fourth-place finish on the ladder.

However, when Coffs lost by a single point and left the Yowies and the Thunderbolts in tied fourth, Tamworth still progressed as the last finals spot was then decided by the for-and-against record between the two teams, which they led by seven points.

The finals will be held on the weekend of August 27 and 28. The semi-finals will be played on the Saturday, with the grand final to follow on Sunday between the winners from the semis.

Tamworth, as the fourth-ranked team, will play the first-placed Canberra side. It is a tough task, but one that Higgins believes is surmountable.

"They're there to be beaten, and we've got to beat someone so we may as well start with Canberra," he said.

All the team's success this year, Higgins added, would not have been possible without the coaches who guided the girls through the junior programs.

"There could've been at least two dozen coaches involved in coaching these girls at different ages," he said.

"They're the ones that laid the foundation for these girls' skill sets .. all the hard work was done by all their former Tamworth junior coaches."

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