Lightning, Hawks take positives out of mixed weekend

THE Lakeside Lightning and Perry Lakes Hawks went 1-1 over the ANZAC Round of Men's SBL action while Rockingham Flames coach Mark Utley was particularly happy with the way Chudier Pal continues to deliver.

The Lightning started off the weekend with a strong performance on Saturday night defeating the Goldfields Giants 110-81 at Lakeside Recreation Centre.

They then backed up by taking on a Cockburn Cougars team on ANZAC Day who were coming off their second loss of the season on Friday at the hands of the Joondalup Wolves. And it was Cockburn who ended up prevailing 112-92 at Wally Hagan Stadium.

Lightning coach Sam Oatman couldn’t have been happier with the win on Saturday against a dangerous Giants team featuring the likes of Jacob Holmen and Kenny Manigault, but he was left to rue some mental lapses on Monday against the Cougars.

"I was pleased to get a big win at home against Goldfields last Saturday night. The boys really limited their mental lapses and stayed committed to defence and rebounding the entire game. Everyone got to play and contribute which is always great to see," Oatman said.

"Unfortunately, we weren’t able to carry our momentum over to our game against Cockburn. Obviously, we have to give them credit. They played well and deserved to win.

"I thought our lack of energy and desire was the difference in the game. We had some encouraging stretches during the game, but you just can’t turn it on and off. You’ve got to be locked in mentally for the full 48 minutes."

Coming off a disappointing loss the previous week to the Joondalup Wolves, the Hawks had to bounce back but it was a tough night on Friday against the Magic with Mandurah prevailing 85-77 at Mike Barnett Sports Complex.

Perry Lakes did return to the winner's list on Sunday, though, beating the Giants 95-90 at Bendat Basketball Centre. Coach Nix is confident his team can now take confidence from that leading into a double this weekend against the East Perth Eagles and Geraldton Buccaneers.

"To come out of the weekend with a win and a loss wasn’t the result that we wanted but can take confidence heading forward after beating a highly regarded Giants team," Nix said.

"Our challenge is building consistency in our play at the moment, we know we have the ability to compete with the best teams if we can play at our potential for 48 minutes."

Meanwhile, the Flames scored a hard fought 81-76 win over the Mandurah Magic on Sunday to improve to a 5-3 record on the season.

There was plenty that coach Utley liked but he can't help but continue to be impressed with the efforts of Pal who delivered another 20 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots.

"It was great to hold Mandurah to 45 points after quarter time, not good giving up 31 in the first," Utley said.

"Chudier was good for us inside and my bench guys gave me so much energy when other areas weren't flowing."

Article by Chris Pike
Photo by Mick Cronin




Comments

Comment Guidelines: The SportsTG Network is made up of players, families and passionate sports followers like you who have a strong opinion about sport. That's great - we want you to have your say and share your thoughts with the world. However, we have a few rules that you must follow to keep it fun for all. Please don't be rude, abusive, swear or vilify others. Apart from some pretty serious sport sanctions, we also can ban you and report you if things get out of hand. So play fair and have fun, and thanks for your contribution.

Download the GameDay App!

Stay up-to-date with your favourite teams and keep an eye on your rivals by accessing the latest match results, fixtures and stats via GameDay App.

GameDay Splash Screen
App Store Google Play