A THRILLING men’s game saw Whittlesea hold on to take victory, but it was not the same story for the women, who tasted defeat.
The Pacers’ men’s team were strong in the early stages of their clash with Craigieburn on Saturday night, scoring 27 points to 13 in the opening term as they dominated every aspect of the game.
Throughout the second term, it looked as though it would be a story of how much Whittlesea would win by as they extended their lead to 20 points late in the second term, en route to a 56-39 lead at the main break.
The first half of the third term suggested that it would be a cruise for the Pacers as they held station with their lead. But a big run for Craigieburn towards the back end of the third term saw the door ever so slightly opened, with Whittlesea leading 74-63 at the final change.
Craigieburn roared into the game in the first half of the last term as they reduced the margin to just four points.
With a minute to go, the margin was one point, but crucially for the Eagles, they were able to find key shots when it mattered most, eventually taking a 95-92 victory.
Raheem Anthony was big down the stretch in hitting crucial shots, which saw him finish with 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Angus Fischer and Jason Dirkx scored 15 points apiece, and Pat Green scored 14 in an even team performance.
Preceding that, Whittlesea’s women had a massive assignment in a top of the table clash between themselves and the Eagles.
But it was the middle two quarters which saw Craigieburn flex their muscle.
A frenetic start saw both teams put score on the board early, with Craigieburn taking a slender lead at the first change, leading 23-22.
Craigieburn dominated the first half of the second term, much to the frustration of the Pacers, who soon found themselves on the end of a 19-4 run.
While the Pacers soon battled back with a 10-0 run of their own, it was still the Eagles who led at the main break, 44-36.
Craigieburn took complete control of the game in the third quarter, and it was their run which allowed them to lead by as much as 20 points late in the term, eventually turning for home 18 points to the good, 68-50.
Whittlesea were unable to mount a fightback in the final term as Craigieburn cruised home to maintain their undefeated run, eventually winning 86-62.
The Eagles lamented being unable to play Tegan Cunningham for more than four minutes, with Meg Lucas leading the way with 13 points, while Indiana Bodley scored 10 points.
In youth league, Whittlesea’s women were productive in the second and final quarters of their game against Wyndham to eventually take a 36-point win, 92-56.
Amy Temos was dominant with 24 points and 17 rebounds, while Ella Sutherland scored 19 points and Peyton Burns 12 points.
Whittlesea’s men weren’t able to take their game against Altona, with the Gators too strong in the last to eventually score a 95-88 victory.
Kuir Dhieu led all scorers for the Pacers with 20 points, while Levi Afitu scored 12, Timothy Halden scored 11 and Griffin Rowe and Joshua Pratt each scored 10.
The Pacers’ men’s team hosts Warrnambool this week, while the women travel to Camberwell.
