Shepparton Gators took on some of the most formidable sides in the Big V Championship at the weekend.
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After a strong season-opening win over Blackburn, the Gators were hoping to build some early momentum on their home floor, but ultimately fell to Keysborough Cougars 78-93 in front of a lively Shepparton crowd on Saturday night, April 5.
Despite a good first half and another standout performance from import forward Ryan Batte, Shepparton struggled to find consistent rhythm against a well-drilled Cougars.
Batte was again the Gators’ most reliable scoring option, finishing with 23 points and 16 rebounds on 50 per cent shooting.
His ability to absorb contact and finish through traffic kept Shepparton within striking distance for much of the game, but Keysborough’s efficiency and shot-making eventually proved too much to overcome.
Head coach Josh Waight said while the loss was disappointing the effort from his group never wavered.
“But there were some good patches of basketball in there,” Waight said.
“To their credit they shot the ball really well.
“It wasn’t a lack of effort from us, it just didn’t quite come together.”
The game was well poised at half-time, with Shepparton leading by three points.
But the second half told a different story, as Keysborough slowed the pace, controlled the tempo and limited the Gators’ transition opportunities.
Shepparton’s usually free-flowing offence struggled to create easy looks and its inability to string together multiple defensive stops allowed the visitor to gradually build a buffer.
“We didn’t get any of those cheap buckets that really get us going,” Waight said.
“Everything we got, we had to work hard for.”
One bright spot came in the form of sharpshooting guard Aaron Dolny, who poured in 12 points off the bench, all from behind the three-point line, and helped ignite a Gators surge in the second quarter.
It was the Seymour native’s second game for the Gators, but he said he was already feeling at home at the Swamp.
“My job is to come in and provide whatever the team needs,” Dolny said.
“Whether that’s hitting shots, defending, bringing energy, whatever it takes.
“We’ve got a deep team and that’s a real strength.”
Dolny said the team was still learning how to play with one another and find its collective identity, but remained optimistic about the direction it’s heading in.
“Once we find our pace and flow offensively, I think we’re going to take off,” he said.
“We’ve got guys who can score at every position.
“We’re just learning how to click and that takes time.”
Kiwi guard Josh Kooiman added 14 points, while American import Bryce Brown finished with 10, but Shepparton lacked the offensive polish it displayed in round one.
The Gators then travelled to McKinnon on Sunday, April 6, and fell 72-102 in their second game of the weekend.
Keysborough was the team that knocked Shepparton out in the finals last year and McKinnon made it all the way to the grand final, losing the championship by one point.
With the Gators in their second season back at the top level, they found themselves up against teams that were a step ahead in their development at this stage of the year.
Waight said the focus now shifted to regrouping and sharpening up ahead of this week.
“We’re still building,” he said.
“There’s a lot of positives to take out of it and the guys are supporting each other, which is what we want to see.
“It’s a long season, we know we play our best ball at the end of the season, so we’re still feeling confident and we know what we need to work on.”
Shepparton Gators are away this weekend, taking on the Sunbury Jets on Saturday night, April 12.
Cadet journalist