NBL1 West 2023: Wheels fall off Slammers as recent Giants victory now a distant memory

Last month the South West Slammers men’s team snapped a lengthy losing streak, defeating the Goldfields Giants 94-81 at home. Since then, Shane Goff’s side had been subjected to heavy defeats against Perry Lakes, Rockingham and the Kalamunda Eastern Suns. On Saturday night in Kalgoorlie, their slump form continued the way it has done since their June victory, the Giants thrashing the Slammers 87-56 at the Niels Hansen Basketball Stadium. Such was the away team’s apparent lack of confidence they were held to six points in the final quarter. Both sides traded baskets during the early stages of the contest, with the height of the Slammers — boosted by imports Buay Tuach and Ben Stevens — giving them an early advantage at both ends of the glass. However, one of Goff’s public pet peeves — minor lapses throughout a quarter — again surfaced midway through the second term, ultimately putting his side out of business by half-time. The Giants, spurred on by Michael Dupree (22 points, four rebounds, four assists, three steals) orchestrated a 14-2 offensive run following a time-out, which gave them a tidy buffer for the remainder of the game. Despite the defeat, both Stevens (24 points, 21 rebounds, two steals) and Pharell Keats provided plenty of offensive creativity for the visitors. The Slammers return home to the Eaton Recreation Centre on Saturday night, where they will host the Warwick Senators. Keeper stats Overall offence (Giants 30/73, Slammers 23/74), Field goals (Giants 23/47, Slammers 19/49); three-point attempts (Giants 7/26, Slammers 4/25); free-throw attempts (Giants 20/23, Slammers 6/14); total rebounds (Slammers 50-49 Giants); assists (Giants 20-13 Slammers); steals (Giants 15-8 Slammers); turnovers (Slammers 24-14 Giants); fouls (Slammers 19-13 Giants).