GERALDTON’S Buccaneers showed they are not to be written off as SBL crown contenders after downing Cockburn Cougars 107-88 at Tip Top Stadium on Saturday night.

The morale-boosting win brought an end to the Buccs five-game losing streak and they will shape up against the Cougars again in the first game of the finals next week.

“It’s a great win. It was the momentum we took into the game, we were really fired up for it.

“The guys played a much better game, hit shots and we didn’t turn the ball over as much,” said Buccs coach Ray Evans.
Evans said the win will give his players a boost ahead of their next encounter with the Cougars.

“I hope it’s a massive boost to win against such a good team. We’re definitely confident about going into next week,” he said.

The Buccs set out its stall for a high scoring first quarter early on. Michael LeBlanc hit the first two baskets, and a bucket from the three-point line handed the Buccs an early 11-eight lead.

Buccs’ captain Matt Wundenberg showed that he had shaken off his ankle injury, with some textbook rebounds under the home team’s hoop.

A three-pointer by Doug McLaughlin-Williams cut the Buccs’ lead to five, but Ray Evans’ men were immediately back on the gas.

Two three-pointers, by LeBlanc and 20-year-old Aaron Ralph gave the Buccs the upper hand at the first break, going in 32-23 up.

Adam Becis tried to put the shakers on the Buccs, with consecutive baskets helping his team claw back the lead to within four points in the second quarter.

When it appeared the Cougars were going to gain the upper hand, a three point raid from LeBlanc (40 points at 58 per cent), Greg Brown and Meyer kept the Buccs in control by 15-points at the half-time break.

The third quarter began as the second concluded and the Buccs’ movement outside the paint was causing unease in the Cougars defence. The barrage of three pointers continued. Daniel Thomas got in on the act to show there was no love lost with his former team mates, hitting two maximum scoring shots. There was slim chance of a Cougars comeback going into the final term trailing a 27-point lead.

Meyer opened up a 29-point lead for the Buccs at the beginning of the fourth quarter and despite the efforts Marc Jones and Alex Prince, the chance of a Cougars’ resurgence was long gone.

With a finals showdown against the Cougars on the horizon, Evans pulled off the big guns in the final quarter, handing minutes to Lou Causer. Clayton Dann also made the most of his run out in front of the Tip Top faithful, sealing the Buccs’ final basket of the night.

Article by Tom Davis (Geraldton Guardian)
Photo by Garry Warner