By RUSSELL BENNETT
EARLY in the fourth quarter of the Pakenham Warriors’ Big V basketball season opener on Saturday night, young point guard James Magrath was furious at himself for turning the ball over… with his side up by 25 points.
If there was any one particular play that typified the Warriors’ relentless pursuit of perfection this season, that was it.
The local side had a major point to prove entering the clash against Division 2 newcomers Oakleigh – also nicknamed the Warriors.
Pakenham lost a trio of big names over the pre-season and all eyes were on the boys from the Colosseum.
But they dominated the second half – storming to a 90-61 win as the rain poured down outside.
The Warriors’ new starting five of Cam Luke, Jim Viray, Hayden Davey, Jay Richardson and Jamie Stow struggled to contain their turnovers early, leading by just three points at the end of the first. Oakleigh then tied the game up at 27 early in the second before Pakenham switched into gear.
But Viray (18 points), Sean Armstrong (18) and new skipper Bill Winder (16) excelled in the open court as the game wore on.
Winder clearly welcomed his added responsibility, impressing with his reliable mid-range jumper in a sixth man role.
Jamie Stow, meanwhile, showed just what an asset he could be for Pakenham as he threw his weight around in the paint on both ends – showing a tenacious streak on both the offensive and defensive glass and finishing with a near double-double, eight points and 11 rebounds.
When Luke started to display his canny knack of driving to the rim and dishing the ball out to the likes of Davey and Viray on the perimeter, Pakenham was firing on all cylinders.
The closing stages of the game seemed like a clinical procession for Ryan Rogers’ men, who clearly displayed the bulk of the fight in this battle of the Warriors.
And it seemed Magrath’s only fault was his perfectionism – he finished with nine points (including a pair of three-pointers), three assists and an outstanding five steals in a super-efficient 18 minutes on court.
Pakenham coach Rogers was proud of the way his side battled against Oakleigh import Andrew Kaban, who finished with 26 points but turned the ball over a whopping 13 times.
“As he started to tire, our extended pressure against him really played into our hands,” Rogers said.
“He’s probably going to get his 25 every week – it’s more about making him shoot contested shots.
“If he shoots a low percentage and still gets his 25, you’ll live with it.”
Despite his side struggling to utilise its size advantage early in the contest, Rogers praised Armstrong, Davey and Jamie Stow for their individual performances.
