BASKETBALL

CBL

By BLAKE METCALF-HOLT

 

HIT and miss results was the name of the game for Latrobe Valley sides in Round 3 of the CBL.

Traralgon dealt an absolute slaughtering but were equally dealt with convincingly, while Morwell sit with just the one win after three games.

 

THE T-Birds were forced to re-examine themselves after a surprise thrashing at the hands of Warragul on Saturday night, 128 to 94.

The Warriors on their home court are always ,a challenge but Traralgon were coming off impressive performances in Round 1 of the season.

It could have been said the T-Birds had to work themselves back into groove after the bye the week before which would have only been reinforced by a quick 8-nil start for Warragul with two three-pointers from Daniel Whitfield.

Traralgon fixed back into shape, taking the lead after Kody Tibballs was fouled on a perimeter shot giving the T-Birds star three shots at the line.

Warragul flicked the switched back in their favour, mounting a 15-8 run to give them a six-point swing on the scoreboard with three minutes left in the opening quarter.

Finishing at a four-point game Warragul’s way at the end of the first term, the Warriors would’ve thought: ‘why the heck not?’

Whitfield and Xavier Adams left the scoring to themselves, including three deep bombs, giving them a 15-point lead early in the second, forcing a timeout by Traralgon coach Logan Van Berkel.

The T-Birds tried desperately to push back into the contest but the Warriors stuck to their guns, pushing the margin out over 20 points and kept it their through to halftime.

Traralgon gave their best shot to open the second half but Warragul matched them almost at every corner leaving the game already decide as the T-Birds were outscored by 16 points in the last term.

It was a true slog despite the high scoring with five players across the board fouled out on the night.

Tibballs did his absolute best in defeat with 31 points, Frazar Brounds next in line with 16.

However, Traralgon would turn it around to produce a bloodbath of the highest order in a 135-62 drilling of Maffra at home on Sunday afternoon.

The T-Birds backed up their horrendous patches against Warragul by taking to task an Eagles side that is eyeing a finals return and who won their opening three games of the season, holding them to 10 points in the opening term.

The margin climbed north of 30 points during the second term as it appeared the game was over before it got going.

Traralgon weren’t about to let their foot off the pedal, using every ounce of energy to combat their loss from the night prior outscoring Maffra by 42 points through from halftime to the final buzzer.

The T-Birds featured four 20-point scorers with Zac Bezzina and Mason Porykali pouring 24 points and a combined five threes, 23 from Bradley Watson and 20 from Tibballs.

The T-Birds can be a truly dominant side when everything’s rolling for them but equally they can tested and taken down when opponents realise and exert physicality and impose them from the get-go.

 

MORWELL alternatively were bounced by that same Maffra side on Saturday night 92-74.

The Magic had been impressive in the early stages in the season, but it was only a two quarter performance from them that was never going to work.

It started well from both ends as the game went back-and-forth destined to end in a stalemate in time for the second quarter, only for Morwell’s Daniel Board to nail a pull-up three-pointer to give them the lead after the first 10 minutes of play.

Morwell mellowed the Maffra run, scoring nine of the last 15 points to keep it at a five-point game once the main break arrived.

Maffra came out and once again punched that lead back this time up to as much as 13 points finding easy looks all across the floor before the Magic blew right back into it with a 18-9 run.

The game appeared to be well and truly in the air especially as Nick Sedley immediately came out of the third quarter break to nail another three to bring it even closer.

Maffra weren’t about to let this game slip away, and tallied the next 10 points all coming from Judd Burgiel and Byron Sandeman.

Morwell had clawed their way back into all game but that cushion was enough especially for the Eagles side, giving them their third win on the year.

Sedley finished with a game-high 28 points and six threes, and Jordan Canovan added 15 points.

 

TWO games were only featured at the weekend for the women’s competition as Morwell travelled to Maffra on Saturday night.

The Magic staved off the Eagles by holding them to just 12 points in the final quarter to give them their second win on the year.

Emily Scholtes piled in 24 points to lead the way for Morwell along with Makaela Zeldenryk and Abbey Noblett with 12 and 11 points respectively.

Moe had the bye in men’s and women’s.