BOTH Wallan basketball teams suffered a loss in their respective away games on the weekend.
The men’s team had a tough trip out to Warragul who were placed second last in the division prior to the game.
The fifth-placed panthers come into the contest as favourites based on the ladder positions, but stats indicated that the game was going to be far closer then anticipated.
The Warragul Warriors are the third best team in the league for points against making their defence look really solid which overall won them the game on Saturday night.
The Panthers took a hot start leading the game 3-8 in the early stages.
But it quickly turned as the Warriors took control of the game going on an eight-point run later in the quarter to set themselves up with a five-point lead at the first break.
The second term was a fairly tight and high scoring quarter of basketball with only one point splitting the two teams giving the Warriors a four-point lead at the main break.
Both teams shot relatively well from beyond the arc in the first half of the game, but it was Wallan’s ability to convert in the paint which kept them in the game to this point.
In the third term, it was again another tight one, but Wallan was again in slightly better shape scoring an extra two points than its opposition.
It set up a two-point margin at the final break which looked to make a great contest in the final quarter.
Unfortunately for Wallan, they once again got pounced in the final term which could be a question of fitness in their young legs or lack of experience in the closing out stages.
The Warriors finished the game with a 11-point lead over the Panthers, and their captain Jordon Goolker had a day out with 37 points alongside teammate Breyton Bunson who had 23 points which moves him to fourth in the overall points per-game tally.
The women’s team stood more of a chance in their game against Blackburn.
The third placed Panthers played the second-placed Vikings last week as well which saw a 28-point loss for the Panthers at home.
But this time around against the Vikings, the girls showed a bit more bite.
They opened the game up in the first quarter with a 6-point lead at the first break.
The usual names in Ranika Guyton, Emmie Gardiner and Hailey Munro were all really solid in the first term of the game putting up a majority of the points for Wallan.
But it was the second period which took the tides of the game towards Blackburn as they responded to take a one-point lead at the half.
From there on, it was basically shot for shot until the last couple of minutes where the Vikings drained a three pointer to make the contest a two basket ball game.
Wallan’s Kody West-Linnett drained one from beyond the arc with 42 seconds remaining, bringing it to a one-point game.
The Vikings were then forced to the line and missed both free throws, giving Wallan the opportunity to win the game with eight seconds to go, but they couldn’t convert and ended up finishing one point down in a shootout against one of the best sides in it.
It’s a performance which they should be relatively proud of considering the margin from last weeks efforts.
Both Panthers teams will now play at home on Sunday, May 31, at 1pm and 3pm.
By Cooper O’Brien