It was a tough weekend for the Lakes Entrance Pelicans ladies’ team, suffering tough Gippsland Country Basketball League losses to both the Sale Sonics and the Warragul Warriors.
The Sonics ran out 38-point winners at the Lakes Entrance Youth and Recreation Centre on Saturday night, while the Warriors ran out 106-point victors at the Warragul Leisure Centre on Sunday.
Saturday night saw the Pelicans produce their best start for season with Kaylah Dunstan (six points) hitting a couple of early three pointers, as the sides went to the first break locked together on 17 points.
An early three pointer by Kelly Poynton (five) got the crowd up and about but it also saw the Sonics lift the tempo and find their range, particularly from outside the three-point arc.
Players such as Cassie Davis (24), Jayme Davis (23), Ella Higgins (19) and Chloe Rees (14) made life tough for their Pelican opponents.
Trailing by nine points at half time, early points to Mariah Kelly (16) and Mehegan Mehegan (nine) gave the Pelicans some hope but with Sale still on its hot shooting streak, the lead was extended to 29 at three quarter time, the game well out of the grasp of the gallant Lakes ladies, who rallied strongly in the final term, but it was all a task to much.
Warragul showed on Sunday why it is unbeaten this season and the team to beat for the title.
The Warriors came out running scoring an extraordinary 44 points in the first quarter while the Pelicans weren’t actually too bad in offence scoring 14 themselves, with coach Dunstan leading from the front scoring eight.
As good as Warragul was in offence, it was just as lethal in defence, scoring 91 points and restricting the Pelicans to a miserly 18 in the final three quarters as Samantha Labros (35), Skye Rees (27), Jamie Chapman (18), Alysha Marcuccilis (15), Beth Quadara (14) and Emily Hobb (13) put on a shooting clinic.
Mehegan (seven) battled hard against quality opposition while Grace Ingram (five) continues to improve with game time at this level.
In the last quarter the Pelicans had plenty of opportunities to knock down some shots but unfortunately the ring wasn’t in their favour, the noise of the final buzzer a relief for players and coaches after a tough afternoon at the office.
It will be another tough weekend for the Pelicans playing Maffra at the Cameron Street Sporting Complex in Maffra this Saturday night at 5.30pm, before fronting up again on Sunday against Wonthaggi at home for a noon game at the Lakes Entrance Youth and Recreation Centre.
