WHITTLESEA Pacers had a mixed weekend of basketball in the Big V competition.
The Pacers’ men’s team hosted Warrnambool at home, and were comfortable in taking victory, leading from go-to-whoa.
Patty Green and Raheem Anthony were the keys for the Pacers, particularly in the opening quarter where they helped set up the Pacers’ 27-13 run to take a comfortable lead.
Whittlesea had a very comfortable second term where they were able to cruise and answer every challenge that Warrnambool threw at them, eventually increasing the margin by six points to lead 51-31 at the main break.
The Pacers scored nine of the first 11 points of the third term to increase their lead to a game-high 27 points, and basically had the game in their safekeeping, with Anthony dominant throughout, particularly with his three-level scoring, putting on a show with some dazzling moves into the paint.
Whittlesea would lead 67-43 at the final change, and while Warrnambool would put some respectability back onto the scoreboard by winning the last term, it wasn’t enough to stop the Pacers from recording a 90-69 victory in a result which sees them in third place on the ladder.
Anthony scored 34 points on an efficient 12/16 shooting, while also recording nine rebounds and eight assists as he flirted with a triple double.
Green scored 20 points, while also collecting eight rebounds and four steals.
In the division one women’s competition, a slow start cost Whittlesea, losing by 12 points to Camberwell.
The Pacers couldn’t quite get on the scoreboard early on, scoring 12 points in the first term as they trailed by seven to end the opening change.
Their best quarter was in the second term as they scored 19 points, but they were also a bit leaky as they conceded 22 points, trailing 31-41 at the main break.
Camberwell looked to have every answer in the third and led by as much as 21, before a brief fightback saw the Pacers close the margin to 13. Still, it wasn’t enough as the Dragons led 61-46 at the final change.
Whittlesea gave itselves a good account in the final term as it was able to close the gap to nine points, but that was as close as they got in what was a low-scoring final term, with Camberwell hanging on to win 69-57.
In a struggle for scoring, Meg Lucas led the way with 12 points, 12 rebounds and four steals, while Indiana Bodley scored 10 points.
Whittlesea also had contrasting fortunes in the Youth League competition.
In the women’s competition, the Pacers were unable to stop Eltham from scoring a 13-point win, with a second term which saw them outscored by 12 points proving costly in a 58-71 loss.
Ella Sutherland led the way for the Pacers with 15 points, while Hailey Cordova scored 12 points and Olivia Jones 11.
In the men’s competition, an incredibly high-scoring game had the Mill Park Basketball Stadium rocking as the Pacers held on for a 106-101 victory over RMIT.
Signifying just how tight the game was, at no stage during the game did the margin exceed nine points, with both teams giving it absolutely everything to land the win.
The Pacers hit big shots late to hold on, maintaining second on the ladder.
Jamie Blanchard scored 23 points, while Timothy Halden added 20 in an even team performance, which saw six players score in double figures.
The Pacers’ senior men’s and women’s move on to home clashes against Altona this week.
