By ROY WARD
DANDENONG Rangers rolled the dice but still came up with a vital 83-79 win over Geelong at Dandenong Stadium in the South East Australian Basketball League on Saturday night.
Up nine points with 1:20 to go in the game, the Rangers stuck with their zone defence only for the Supercats to make back-to-back three pointers, cutting the Rangers’ lead to three with 51 seconds left.
Solid pressure from the Geelong defence left the Rangers with few options on the next possession, which left Rangers point guard Andrew Harms (18 points, nine rebounds) with the ball in his hands.
Harms took a long three-pointer which never looked like missing, extending the Rangers lead to six .
Supercats star Jamie Medved (21 points) drove to the basket and scored a quick lay-up to bring his side within four with 28 seconds left but, following a time-out, the Supercats refused to foul the Rangers and stop the clock, with the home side waiting until three seconds were left before shooting the ball.
The Rangers’ miss looked to have been rebounded by Geelong only for Lucas Barker to strip the ball away, ensuring a Rangers win.
Harms said he wasn’t intending to shoot a long three but it looked the best of the options available. “Luckily it went in,” he said. “We probably didn’t defend too well in those plays but they are a good side and made some big shots.”
Harms said the win was a major boost to the Rangers’ home finals chances, as the two teams had an identical record going into the match, with the Rangers now a game clear of the Supercats on the SEABL East ladder.
“We have had this one circled on our calendar for some time because of how important it was, so it’s a big win for us and we need to keep our form going because getting that home final and the second chance is a big thing.”
Rangers import Daequon Montreal led his side with 24 points while Tony Lewis (14 points), Venky Jois (14) and Brent Hobba (13) all made big contributions.
Supercats import Kimmani Barrett proved his reputation as one of the most prolific scorers in the league with a game-high 33 points but only he and Medved scored in double figures for the visitors.
■ The Rangers women welcomed back key players Steph Cumming (Australian duties) and Alison Downie (injury) in their 65-57 win over Geelong on Saturday night, with Amelia Todhunter leading the way with 19 points and Cumming adding 18.
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