After a week-long hiatus due to a bye the men's and women's Shepparton Gators returned to the court for round six of the Country Basketball League season.
The women's game tipped off at 6pm on Saturday, November 11, at Shepparton Sports Stadium.
Facing Albury Cougars, the young women's team struggled throughout, ultimately falling to a 39-68 defeat.
Despite hanging in there at half-time, a ruthless performance by Albury in the third quarter sealed the game.
Albury's Ellie Lyons showcased her scoring versatility, accumulating a game-high 21 points.
Teammates Claudia Hocking and Timeeka Coleman contributed with 19 and 13 points, respectively.
In contrast, Shepparton's scoring was more evenly spread, with Mackenzie Clark leading with eight points, including one of her squad’s two threes.
This week, the women's team will travel to Seymour to take on the Blasters on Saturday, November 18.
Currently, Shepparton holds fourth position on the north east women’s CBL ladder with one win and four losses.
The men's Gators had a double-header, starting with a game against Albury Cougars on Saturday at 8pm.
The fans were treated to a cameo from a familiar face, with Big V captain Matt Bartlett stepping in for the absent Tom Frame.
Shepparton dominated Albury, securing an 86-69 victory.
Big V forward Nick Dodd continued his scoring rampage, backing up his 23-point performance last game with 26 this time out.
Dodd put on a true three-level performance, using his size and physicality to score, draw fouls in the interior, and stretch the defence with a pair of threes.
Bartlett also lit it up from the perimeter with 18 points, four of them triples.
Liam Dodd and Joshua Evans reached double digits in the victory.
The following day, the Gators faced Myrtleford Saints, with Bartlett again standing out with 26 points, 18 of which came from beyond the three-point line.
The closely contested first half had Shepparton trailing by one point, but a dominant closing quarter from the Saints led to a 75-88 loss.
Myrtleford’s Tyler Barker starred in the win with a game-high 27 points, three threes, and six free throws.
Jalen Barker pitched in with 21, dominating in the paint and drawing fouls.
Jordan Birch stood out with 17 points for Shepparton.
The team is set to travel to Seymour for its next game against the Blasters on Saturday, November 18, with tip-off at 7pm.
Brothers Nick and Liam Dodd remained consistent with 13 and 11, respectively.
Currently, Shepparton occupies sixth position on the north east men’s CBL ladder with four wins and three losses.