Shepparton Gators head coach Josh Waight liked what he saw from his gun recruits in Saturday night’s emphatic 83-61 win over Chelsea.
The Gators brushed aside Chelsea with a dominant second-half effort which helped them return to the Big V division one men’s winners’ list.
Star import Derek Murphy was sublime with 29 points and 12 rebounds and had the home crowd on its feet with multiple highlight reel plays.
Recruit Staci Richardson was impressive with his work on the defensive end of the floor, while Josh Kooiman and Matt Bartlett provided plenty of support.
The win on Saturday night lifts the Gators into third spot ahead of the upcoming general bye.
Murphy, an athletic forward from Detroit, is starting to hit his straps in his adopted city.
“He’s settled in well and he’s really starting to blossom and starting to show what he can do on the offensive end and defensive end,” Waight said of the American import.
“We’re really looking forward to seeing what he can do after a few more months under the belt.
“He was really good. He got to his spots, did a good job to get to the rim and although he didn’t shoot well from the free-throw line he definitely shot well from the field.
“He utilised his height and size to create advantage within our offence which was fantastic.”
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Tight defense: Gators' Nick Dodd. Photo by Megan FisherImage 2 of 9
Leading the way: Gators' Derek Murphy. Photo by Megan FisherImage 3 of 9
Focused: Gators' Sam Beks. Photo by Megan FisherImage 4 of 9
On the charge: Gators' Lachlan Kego. Photo by Megan FisherImage 5 of 9
In the zone: Gators' Staci Richardson. Photo by Megan FisherImage 6 of 9
Ready and waiting: Gators' Matt Andronicos. Photo by Megan FisherImage 7 of 9
Talking tactics: Gators' coach Josh Waight. Photo by Megan FisherImage 8 of 9
Dropping dimes: Gators' Joshua Kooiman. Photo by Megan FisherImage 9 of 9
Hang time: Gators' Derek Murphy. Photo by Megan FisherWaight went on to praise the performance of emerging recruit Richardson ― following his “best outing” for the Gators.
“Staci had his best game of the year,” Waight said.
“He did a really good job defensively and he did a good job hitting the ring and used his height to his advantage.
“He’s a really exciting prospect. He went across to the US and played college basketball, came back played rugby and played CBL with Echuca and I think once he gets accustomed with the group he’s going to be a great asset.”
On the game itself, Waight said he was proud of his outfit for overcoming a plucky Gulls outfit.
Chelsea brought the fight to the Gators, with the scores tied at 18 apiece at the first break, before the home side broke the shackles in blistering style.
“They did a really good job in the first half and really took it up to us, but eventually we found a way and found a rhythm to break the game open,” Waight said.
“I thought we did a better job in the second half in looking for mismatches on the floor. We did a good job of capitalising on those.”
The Gators now enjoy a week off due to the Easter weekend.
A home match on April 18 against Gippsland United awaits Waight and his charges.
“It will be good to allow a few sore bodies to rest up. We’ll enjoy the week off and work on a few things at training.”