No shortage of hustle

The South West Slammers men’s team displayed plenty of heart during their 87-64 loss against the high-flying Cockburn Cougars on Saturday night at the Eaton Recreation Centre. Installed as 20.5 point favourites by oddsmakers prior to tip-off, punters who wagered on the Cougars had every right to feel nervous early, as Shane Goff’s Slammers worked hard at both ends of the floor. With new import Buay Tuach (22 points) again providing a sensational presence in the paint, the Slammers orchestrated a 4-0 offensive run early in the second quarter to momentarily hit the lead for the first time in the game. This series of events prompted Cougars coach Andrew Cooper to call a time-out in order to for his troops to regain composure. And regain composure the Cougars did, rattling on 17 unanswered points in the space of three and a half minutes following the pause. Aside from six successful shots from the charity stripe, this offensive blast included three consecutive shots from three-point land. To their credit, the home side refused to buckle, even if their offensive looks routinely rimmed out. Leading 45-32 at half-time, the Cougars, who are one of the best shooting teams in the men’s competition right now, added another impressive chapter to their reputation inside the opening two minutes of the second half with four consecutive three-point shots from as many offensive possessions. With stalwarts Gavin Field (26 points) and Carter Skaggs (20) being fed superbly by fellow experienced campaigner Seva Chan, the Cougars were able to dictate their tempo and shot selection at all times. Pleasingly for home supporters, the Slammers ended the game with a 5-0 offensive run inside the final minute, with Jack Pergoliti receiving a warm round of applause from his teammates after knocking down a silky effort from beyond the three-point line. The Slammers will head to the Willetton Basketball Stadium on Saturday night, where they will square off against the Tigers who are on a three-game skid. Keeper stats Field goals (Cougars 16/33, Slammers 22/52), three-point attempts (Cougars 14/29, Slammers 3/16), total rebounds (Slammers 38-38 Cougars), assists (Cougars 16-9 Slammers), steals (Slammers 10-10 Cougars), turnovers (Slammers 17-17 Cougars)