Though the dust has settled on the Shepparton Gators’ fairytale season in the Big V Championship, the balls haven’t been packed away just yet.
The Gators’ men and women are two games into the Country Basketball League campaign, which spans throughout October and November, and spring is yet to have sprung success for Shepparton’s female contingent.
After falling to Albury Cougars 85-35 on day one, the Gators’ girls met Myrtleford Saints on home court in a Sunday special.
The hosts took a two-point lead into the first break as Tamica Tunumafono began to hit her straps, but the Saints struck back to flip the deficit into a three-point buffer at half-time.
It was neck-and-neck throughout the game’s third and fourth stanzas and, despite a late Eliana Gray dime bringing the Gators within two points, Myrtleford was able to hold on for a nervy 50-47 victory.
Tunumafono finished on 18 points, while Charlotte Woosnam was good for her nine.
On the men’s front, the weekend served up a double dose of despair as the Gators went 0-2 against Seymour and Echuca.
Despite Big V regular Thomas Frame dropping a monster 26-point game on Seymour’s head on Saturday, the Gators’ late flurry wasn’t enough to salvage a result as the Blasters claimed the game 78-74.
Sunday was almost a carbon copy of the prior result.
Frame was cash for his 23 points, but the Gators left it too thin heading into the final term, losing by five points to a strong Pirates outfit.
Both Shepparton sides will take on Wallan at The Swamp this Sunday.
News photographer Holly Daniel was courtside on Sunday to catch the Gators-Saints game.