By RUSSELL BENNETT
STIFLING second half defence on league-leading scorer Andrew Kaban has helped the Pakenham Warriors clinch their second straight victory to move ahead of the win-loss ledger in the Big V basketball men’s second division.
Oakleigh go-to man Kaban (24 points) was restricted to under 30 points for the first time in six weeks as Pakenham again won the battle of the Warriors, 84-70, at the Glen Eira Sports and Aquatic Centre on Saturday night.
Pakenham got off to a hot start from the field – leading 9-2 in the opening stages before Oakleigh’s outside shooters found their range.
Jim Viray (18 points and 7 rebounds) and new recruit Andrew Savige (12 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists) came up big on the offensive glass in the opening term, while Kaban’s shooting from deep kept the home side in the contest – levelling the scores at 20 at the first change.
The second quarter was another tight tussle with Oakleigh pushing the tempo and running everything through Kaban, its Canadian import.
But the home side was in foul trouble for much of the period and Pakenham capitalised with twice as many attempts from the charity stripe.
Yet in the open court Oakleigh was giving Ryan Rogers’ men all kinds of headaches, leading 36-31 with less than two minutes remaining in the half.
That’s when the light bulb moment seemed to be triggered for Pakenham – looking inside at every given opportunity with the likes of Viray, Savige and skipper Bill Winder capitalising.
From just a one point lead at half-time – 37-36 – Pakenham extended its margin to 11 thanks to a string of stops on the defensive end and fastbreak layup attempts on the other.
Before too long it was Pakenham’s Warrior army that cheered the loudest.
Oakleigh pegged the margin back to single digits by the end of the third but the visitors had all the running in the fourth – cruising in the game’s final stages to a 14-point win.
Savige’s influence for Pakenham on both ends of the floor was a real key to the side’s win once again, while Hayden Davey (19 points and 6 rebounds), Jay Richardson (4 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists) and James Magrath (9 points) also played crucial roles.
“Just getting that clean rebound and being able to trigger the break is huge for us,” Pakenham coach Ryan Rogers said of Savige’s influence.
“It’s something we missed consistently in the opening eight games of the year and it’s just fantastic.
“Guys are starting to run and shoot the ball with more confidence, knowing that they’ve got that rebounder in there and if they miss we’re still going to get a tip or a second chance opportunity.”
Rogers also praised Davey who shot the ball particularly well from deep.
“He’s had training sessions where he’s hit 10 threes in a scrimmage and it just hasn’t quite translated into game night until now,” Rogers said straight after the game.
“Tonight was a breakout game for him, offensively, but defensively he’s been a rock all year.
“He made life really difficult for Kaban tonight, forcing a lot of his seven turnovers, and he was the beneficiary of some team adjustments we made in the second half, just by staying on task as he always does.”
The Warriors are on the road this weekend, taking on the league’s top side Shepparton on Saturday before facing the last-placed North East Bushrangers the next day.
Pakenham is now fifth in the standings with a 6-5 record.
