Playing away at Pakenham, the Gators were tested in a tight battle, but held firm down the stretch, showing improved cohesion and resilience after the fortnight off.
It was a back-and-forth contest across all four quarters, but Shepparton’s balanced attack and timely shot making proved the difference.
Kiwi guard Josh Kooiman had a standout night, pouring in 23 points on 75 per cent shooting, including five triples.
American imports Bryce Brown (20 points, eight rebounds) and Ryan Batte (20 points, nine rebounds) impressed, while Aaron Dolny and Taine Wattie also hit double figures off the bench.
“We came together really well as a team,” Kooiman said.
“We stuck to playing our style of basketball, even when things got tough, and it showed.”
Kooiman only shot the ball eight times, making six shots, with the rest of his buckets coming from free throws.
Despite having the hot hand, he picked his spots and focused on team-first basketball.
“I just keep trying to play the game the right way, taking my moments when they come, but always trying to get the best available shot for the team,” Kooiman said.
The win was an important bounce-back for the Gators, who are now 2-3 after the opening four rounds of the Big V Championship season, sitting eighth on the ladder.
The Easter break came at the perfect time for the squad to reset and really focus on building that championship chemistry.
“We treated the break like a mini pre-season,” Kooiman said.
“It’s always a tough start to the year for us with not having a full roster till the last training before the first game.
“We’re continuing to fine-tune things in the half-court and just building more chemistry every week.”
The Gators now look ahead to a crucial home double-header at Shepparton Sports Stadium this weekend, where they’ll aim to climb the ladder with the support of their home crowd.
They host Bellarine on Saturday, May 3, at 7pm, before backing up against Melbourne University on Sunday, May 4 at 1pm.
Kooiman said the team was excited about the chance to play at home again.
“We can’t wait to get back in front of our home crowd,” he said.
“We want to put on a show for them and keep building momentum.”
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