Southern used a balanced attack to stave off the Panthers at Morphett Vale on Saturday night, the home team recording four players with 13 points or more in the 75-65 victory.

Michael Florance (18 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals) was instrumental in the victory in just over 24 minutes of playing time, ably assisted by young supporting cast Sam Johns and Codey Ellison who had 13 points each, along with Sam McDaniel who also recorded a game-high 11 rebounds.

South Adelaide continued to lean on in-form big man Tom McKenzie, (19 points, 9 rebounds) who despite being the focus of double-teams all night continued to keep the Panthers scoreboard ticking by getting to the line, where he went 9/10 on the night.  

Similar to the women’s match, the first half saw both teams struggling to gain momentum, Florance eventually tipping the game in the Tigers’ favour after catching fire just before the end of the second quarter. The forward generated 3 steals and 9 points against the flow of play in a dominant 4-minute period, bringing the crowd into the game for the home side.  

The run gave Southern a handy 44-33 lead at the major break, but one which evaporated just as quickly as it came.

The visitors forced the Tigers into mistakes by cranking up the defensive intensity early in the second half, a Jordan Robertson steal and three-point play quickly erasing the deficit back to 2 points. A couple of big plays late in the third by Codey Ellison - including a three-pointer and a pair of baseline lay-ins - saw the Tigers carry a slight advantage heading into a tight final term.

But again it was Southern that was able to wrest momentum away from their opponents. Both teams traded baskets until a Craig Catford mid-range jumper went unanswered by the Panthers and another successful Florance drive gave Southern a 10 point buffer halfway through the last. Tucker moved Sam Johns to the point to protect the lead with four minutes remaining, South unable to force the second-year forward into turnovers and come up with stops in order to reel in the final margin.

The win sees Southern improve to 2 and 2, whereas South Adelaide will look for their first victory next week against the also-winless Mavericks.

Southern Tigers 75 (Michael Florance 18, Codey Ellison, Samuel Johns, Sam McDaniel 13)
South Adelaide Panthers 65 (Tom McKenzie 19, Shane Boal 18, Jordan Robertson 15)

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By Lachlan Sellar