Game number 13 has proven lucky for Tigers, who recorded their first win of the RL Signs Geelong United Basketball Men’s Winter Championship season at AWA Alliance Bank Stadium.
Trailing Sharks by six points at half-time, Tigers got the game back on their terms with a 28-15 third quarter.
If there were any nerves about closing out the contest in the final period, they didn’t show, with Tigers outscoring Sharks 22-16 to claim an 84-71 victory.
Oscar Leavold led an even team performance, finishing with 19 points.
Josh Hasell (17 points), Lachie van der Klooster (16), Riley Pendergast (12) and Evan Juros (10) ensured an impressive spread of scorers for the winners.
For Sharks, who missed a chance to stay within a win of the top four, Scott McCarthy was best with 23 points.
Malik Davis (14 points) and Devante Francis (13) did all they could to keep Sharks in the contest.
Marach Marach has warmed up for Geelong United’s Big V Youth League grand final qualifier with a 33-point effort as Pivot City all-but sealed the regular season championship with an 81-75 result over second-placed Lara Giants at AWA.
Marach contributed 33 points as Pivot opened up a six-point gap on the Giants.
Max Zalakos (19 points) and league-leading scorer Max Kos (18) also produced consistent evenings for the winners.
Jackson Bentley’s prolific run continued as he led Lara with 31 points.
He knocked nine three-pointers to take him past Kos for the most triples for the season.
Joel McFall battled hard for 21 points for the Giants.
Christian College Eagles stayed inside the top four after holding off an understaffed Wildcats 80-73 at AWA.
Suiting up ten players, the Eagles were able to rotate their roster consistently.
Wildcats went into the contest with just five players, with Robbie Kennedy missing and playing coach Nick Owusu calling the shots from the sidelines.
Marc Allan-Goodwin was the standout for Christian College as he poured in 23 points, while veteran duo Liam McInerney (16 points) and Nathan Freind (11) gave solid service for the Eagles.
Tom Henkel’s good form for Wildcats continued. He paced their scoring with 26 points, DeMarcus Gatlin had 18, and Kale Wells had 14 before fouling out.
A Hugh Buckby-inspired YMCA maintained third spot on the ladder with a comfortable 89-62 victory over South Geelong Kings at Geelong Arena.
The 15-year-old was impressive both inside and out on his way to 31 points, with veteran Nathan Herbert (23 points) and fellow young gun Bailey Bruce (20 points) providing vital support.
For the Kings, who were playing catchup after being outscored 26-12 in the opening quarter, Will McPherson produced a confidence-boosting 23 points, with experienced big man Griffin Errey contributing 11 points.
The combination of Nathan Gronbeck and Seb Thomason counteracted the stunning shooting display of Yusuf Qaafow as Try Boys remained in the playoff mix with a narrow 91-85 win over Vytis at AWA.
Qaafow was deadly from outside, nailing ten three-pointers on his way to 47 points for the Knights.
However, Gronbeck and Thomason were just as efficient on the inside for the Bears, scoring 28 and 25 points, respectively.
Surfcoasters had the bye.
