Shepparton Gators have tallied a staggering eight wins in a row after going two from two at the weekend and cementing their position at the top of the Big V division one ladder following round 13.
The Gators put on two dominant displays on their road trip, travelling to Gippsland Regional Sports Centre to eventually edge out fifth-placed Gippsland United 78-67 on Saturday night, before arriving at Warrandyte Sports Complex on Sunday afternoon to hand seventh-placed Warrandyte Venom a 91-69 loss.
Detroit import Derek Murphy set the tone early in game one, putting up 10 points in the first quarter with a mix of mid-range jump shots, driving layups and tip-ins off missed shots.
Fellow import, Kiwi, Joshua Kooiman got Shepparton a handy lead to end the opening period, stealing the ball from a Gippsland player before laying it up just a second before the buzzer to put it up 25-19.
He followed that up with a quick three and layup to open the second quarter before skipper Matt Bartlett, Lachlan Kego, Nick Dodd and Sam Beks got in on the action.
Gippsland fought back though, getting to the rim at ease to finish or draw fouls, going on a 12-4 run to cut the lead down to 42-45 at the half.
Despite Murphy continuing to dominate the interior and Thomas Frame coming off the bench to hit back-to-back threes, at 56-55 it was either team’s game heading into the fourth quarter.
Captain fantastic Bartlett propelled the Gators to a win with a 10-point quarter, opening up the period with back-to-back threes of his own before getting to the rim and finishing over taller defenders.
They outscored the home side 22-12 in the final quarter, securing the first game of the doubleheader.
Game 1: Best performers against Gippsland
Matt Bartlett: 18 points, 5 assists, 4-8 from 3
Derek Murphy: 18 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
Sam Beks: 12 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block
Thomas Frame: 12 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals
Gators coach Josh Waight said he was proud of the team’s defensive effort in the final period, limiting the opposition to one shot per possession.
Murphy and Bartlett starred in the victory, putting up 18 points each, along with 10 rebounds for Murphy and five assists for Bartlett.
Beks and Frame brought great energy off the bench, with 12 points each.
“Frame was really good, he hit some big shots and did a great job defensively, all the guards did well defensively,” Waight said.
On Sunday, Gators jumped back on the road to take on Warrandyte.
Gators quickly opened up an eight-point lead, with some sharpshooting from Bartlett, Kooiman and Beks putting the Gators up 24-16.
Guard duo Bartlett and Kooiman continued to be lights out from outside in the second, with Murphy forcing fouls and cashing in free throws before Kego began to cook.
The Benalla big man reached into his bag to showcase a variety of moves, including great footwork around the rim for easy twos as well as showing off his range with some mid-range jump shots.
The offensive rampage was too much for Warrandyte to contain, falling to a 52-31 deficit at half-time.
Kego continued his unbelievable afternoon, coming straight out of the change rooms with a layup plus a foul, completing the three-point play to start the third.
Murphy got to the rim for a two before adding a beautiful fade-away jump shot to his tally.
Beks and Frame continued to contribute off the bench, Beks pulling up for a mid-range before going two from two from the line, and Frame splashed three free throws of his own after being fouled on a perimeter shot.
Shepparton retained its considerable lead, sitting comfortably at 70-53 heading into the final third.
If there was any hope for the home side going into the fourth, Murphy quickly banished it, imposing his will on the defence, starting out with a layup plus a foul, along with a few more layups and free throws before another fade-away adding up to a 9-2 run all by himself.
Kego then went on his own run, proving too big and strong for his defenders, with three buckets in a row to cap his best game of the season.
Kego finished with 21 points, on a ridiculous 10 shots made from 10 attempts, with eight rebounds and a block.
Game 2: Best performers against Warrandyte
Matt Bartlett: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block
Derek Murphy: 18 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block
Lachlan Kego: 21 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block
Kooiman and Bartlett registered 15 points on the night and Murphy had 18.
Waight said the group had been working on positioning with the guards and big men, and that it was pleasing to see Kego reap the rewards of hard work.
He also praised Murphy’s defensive work, taking on the assignment of guarding the league’s top scorer Michael Birt II, holding him to seven shots made of 25 for an inefficient 21-point outing, seven points below his average.
The Gators won by 22 to complete the weekend double and extended their hot streak to eight on the trot.
“We’re rapt with the results, we were locked in all weekend and it was great to get two quality wins against two quality teams,” Waight said.
“We’ve got to look ahead now and just keep building, Bulleen are a tough, physical outfit and they’ve claimed some scalps in recent weeks.”
Gators remain away from home on Saturday, June 1, to face sixth-placed Bulleen at East Doncaster Secondary College at 7pm as they continue their search for division one glory.