By JARROD POTTER
Big V Division 2 – round 7
TOO strong down the stretch, Keysborough has bounced back into the top four in Big V Division 2 with a 19-point win (89-70) over Western Port.
Drip-by-drip the Cougars extended their lead at Somerville Basketball Stadium – passing the ball around to keep the Steelers on their toes.
It was shot-for-shot early as the Cougars claimed a four-point lead at the first break, but the constant pressure started to peel back the Steelers and despite the best efforts of Steelers’ offensive machine Manny Hendrix (38 points), the Cougars pushed away after half-time.
The whopping disparity in the rebound count highlights the Cougars’ strength and the place for improvement for the Steelers, as Nathan Vogt’s charges reeled in 49 as opposed to Western Port’s 29.
Key contributions came from Jackson Houpt (19 points, 15 rebounds) leading the way at both ends of the court while Kevin Benn (22 points, 8 rebounds) and Eric Miraflores (15 points) secured the victory.
Chris Jones (9 points, 9 rebounds) also stepped up in the crunch moments to nearly take back-to-back double doubles.
Keysborough’s next challenge is against newcomers Oakleigh on Saturday night away.
Keysborough women had a bye and will face the Chelsea Gulls on Sunday at home.
