THE Wallan Panthers women’s side has secured a win against the Surf Coast Chargers closing the game out late in a tight affair.
The first quarter saw the Chargers take a solid start, converting when going forward.
Wallan threw up a lot of three-point attempts but didn’t quite convert to begin with.
For periods of the quarter Surf Coast held an eight-point lead.
But once the Panthers quickly sunk multiple three pointers from Emily Attard and Ranika Guyton, they had the quarter swinging back in their direction and closed the margin to one point at the first break.
Clear instructions at quarter time sent the two star players from both teams to essentially tag each other the whole game.
Guyton had the job on star player Deja McKinney who looked the major offensive threat for the Chargers.
The Panthers’ Carley Cranston started to fire her three-pointers to give the opposition a headache on who to guard in the second.
But the Chargers were quick to respond pushing points in the paint earning fouls and gaining free throws on multiple occasions.
At half time, the contest was all square.
Coming into the second half, it was clear that Wallan could rely on more than two or three of their best players as everyone on the court were starting to build solid points numbers.
Hayley Munro took a lot of contact and had multiple sets of free throws which she drained.
The Chargers shot at 16 percent from beyond the arc during the third which cost them points as they looked to gain momentum.
But then late in the term the Chargers continued their steady offence and started to convert from within the paint to bring the game close at the third break.
They could have potentially led the Panthers at the final break but started to burnout, letting multiple defensive rebounds go and giving away scores in their defensive half.
The final quarter started with Wallan up by three.
Coming out strong in the final term, the Panthers led the quarter by nine at some early stages, until Jessica Scannell drained two from behind the three-point line for the Chargers to bring the game within one basket with 24 seconds to play.
Coming down the wire, Wallan were able to retain the basketball until an unsportsmanlike foul from the Chargers gave the Panthers two shots and the possession which was all they needed to hold on and win in a tight one in front of a solid crowd, 81-77.
Guyton was the best player on the court, finishing the game with 21 points whilst tightly guarding the oppositions best player.
On Sunday, they followed up against Blackburn in less than 24 hours.
The Panthers were clearly exhausted from the night before going down in the contest by 28 points, 54-82. Guyton again had 19 points and was the best scorer for Wallan.
They sit third on the ladder with six wins from eight games.
The men’s team faced the South Peninsula Sharks straight after the girls thriller.
Pre game it was predicted to be a shootout and a challenge on how to stop the league leader for points Charles Elzie lii.
In an even first quarter, the Panthers trailed the Sharks by a point, sinking a majority of their points within the paint.
Elzie lii started the game well issuing a problem for Wallan.
But a dominant second quarter for the men in pink put the game into a secure position, leading the half by four points and restricting the league leader for points.
South Peninsula’s tactics must have had a huge change up at half time.
They came out to drop a 24-point quarter overtaking Wallan to lead by 11 at the final break.
The deciding factor was in the paint, where the majority of Sharks scores were made.
The Sharks only drained two from beyond the arc in the third.
Coming into the final term it was do or die for the Panthers to avoid a second consecutive loss.
But the Sharks came out and scored the first nine points of the quarter to bring in a 20-point lead early in the final term, before eventually winning 55-75.
A disappointing result for Wallan, who now fall down the ladder to the fifth position.
Wallan captain Lachlan Lombardo was their top scorer with 13 for the night.
Elzie III finished the game as best on for the night, with 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists dominating the Panthers and remaining the best scorer in the league.
By Cooper O’Brien
