By DAVID NAGEL
A lightning-fast start from the Keysborough Cougars did not help on Saturday night, eventually going down 65-60 to Maccabi Warriors in their Big V division two clash at Bialik Stadium.
The fourth-placed Cougars were well fancied against the cellar-dwelling Warriors and the first quarter gave every indication that an easy night was on offer.
The Cougars leapt out to a 10-point lead at quarter time, shooting a high percentage from all three areas on the court.
Adam Sliwinski, John Constance and Kevin Benn were proving more than a handful for the Warriors, who then dug deep to make the second quarter their own. The Warriors reversed all first-quarter trends as they outscored the Cougars 23 to 12 to take a one-point lead to the half.
The Cougars had no answer to the offensive power of Benji Tamir and Jeff Devers while their own field-goal percentage slumped from 47 to 25 percent.
The Cougars then responded themselves, opening up a five-point lead at three-quarter time. That effort proved to no avail however as the Warriors kept the Cougars to just eight points in the final term to run out five-point winners.
Sliwinski (16 points, seven rebounds) was the only Cougar to hit double-figures as the visitors struggled to find attacking options. Tim Brook’s 13 rebounds complemented seven points while Benn (eight points, seven rebounds) and Constance (eight points, two rebounds) were others to make an impact.
The loss sees the Cougars four-match winning-streak come to an end and drops them to 50 percent from their 14 matches played this season. The Cougars will look to bounce back to the winners’ list when they travel to the Somerville Recreation Centre on Saturday night to take on the eighth-placed Western Port Steelers.
