South West Slammers men’s side drop to bottom of NBL1 West ladder with losses to Lakeside and Joondalup

A disappointing weekend with losses to Lakeside Lightning and Joondalup Wolves has dropped the South West Slammers men’s side to the bottom of the NBL1 West ladder. Shane Goff’s team came into the league’s Anzac Round having been much more competitive than their 1-4 win-loss record suggested, but they were beaten 92-83 by the winless Lightning before suffering their worst result of the season in an 83-63 defeat at the hands of the ladder-leading Wolves. Captain Buay Tuach continues to lead the side from the front, taking 19 trips to the foul line against the Lightning in a brilliant 32-point, six rebound, six assist performance, and backing up with a 25-point, seven-rebound effort against the Wolves. His fellow import Alex Holcombe contributed 26 points, 19 rebounds and four blocks in the two games, and young gun Pharell Keats dropped 17 points and dished six assists in the loss to the Lightning. However, the Slammers’ depth issues were highlighted across the two games, with the bench only managing to contribute seven points. The Slammers were mashed on the boards in the Lakeside loss, with the Lightning winning the rebound battle 54-33 and scoring 17 second-chance points as a result of their 24 offensive rebounds. A strong defensive effort in the second game saw the Slammers hold the undefeated Wolves to their lowest score of the season but their own offensive issues came to the forefront against the league’s stingiest defence, only scoring 25 points in the second half and making just three of their 23 three-point attempts — an anaemic 13 per cent.