Shepparton Gators are officially rolling.
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After a slow start to the Big V Championship season the Gators have found their rhythm, recording back-to-back wins at the weekend to push their record to five and three and climb into fifth place on the ladder after five rounds.
It started on Saturday night, May 3, at Shepparton Sports Stadium.
The Gators held off a late push from the Bellarine Storm to take a hard-fought 96-90 win in front of a vocal home crowd.
Star import Ryan Batte led the way with 28 points and 14 rebounds, showing off three-level scoring and hitting clutch free throws down the stretch.
Kiwi point guard Josh Kooiman added 15 points, including three triples, while Tom Frame and Bryce Brown chipped in with 9 and 11 points respectively.
Shepparton jumped out to a fast start, scoring 28 points in the first quarter and building a double-digit lead by half-time.
But the Storm fought back in the third, cutting the margin to one point heading in to the final term.
Gators coach Josh Waight said while there were moments of slippage, he was proud of how his team responded under pressure.
“There were definitely some lapses and I probably didn’t get my rotations right at times,” Waight said.
“But to the boys’ credit they stayed composed and found a way to finish the game.”
One of the turning points came in the fourth quarter, when Eric Miraflores hit a timely three-pointer to force a timeout and wrestle the momentum back in Shepparton’s favour.
The Filipino guard only played 11 minutes, but provided a burst of energy and poise off the bench.
“That was a big play in the context of the game,” Waight said.
“That’s what’s exciting about this group, it can be anyone’s night.
“I thought Eric gave us a real lift and Framey was really solid too.”
Frame, known primarily for his defence, had one of his most complete outings of the year.
His late-game strip and no-look assist to Miraflores drew roars from the crowd and summed up his two-way impact.
“I would love to have my offensive game like that consistently. That's a big part of what I'm trying to work on at the moment,” Frame said.
“Defence kind of creates my offensive game.
“If I'm getting steals and being a person getting deflections, I'm pretty active and feeling good on the offensive end.
“It’s just ebbs and flows, you know, good times, bad times, great to get the win, but need to be more consistent to get another one tomorrow.”
The Gators backed it up less than 24 hours later with another strong performance, this time outlasting Melbourne University 105-91 in a high-paced offensive showcase on Sunday afternoon, May 4.
Six Shepparton players finished in double figures, including Brown (19), Miraflores (18), Batte (14), Kooiman (14), Frame (11) and Aaron Dolny (13).
Brown was particularly efficient, going 7-of-12 from the field and adding nine rebounds in his most dominant game for Shepparton.
However, the standout was Miraflores, who exploded for 18 points in 12 minutes, most coming in the fourth quarter.
“It was great to see Eric go off like that,” vice-captain Sam Beks said.
“He’s such a weapon when he’s confident.
“I don’t think it’ll be the last time we’ll see one of those games for him.”
Beks, who added four points and six rebounds off the bench, said the team had used the Easter break as a mini pre-season to regroup after a rough start to the year.
“We’ve got six new faces in this team,” he said.
“We needed time to gel.
“That Easter break gave us a chance to reset and I think we’re starting to see the results now.
“We’re very, very deep this year.
“It can be anyone’s night, but when we’re moving the ball and we’re doing the right things like today, it can be everyone’s night as well.”
Waight echoed the sentiment, crediting the coaching staff and the players for buying in.
“We’re heading in the right direction,” he said.
“We’ve still got things to tidy up, especially defensively, but the offensive balance is coming together.
“It’s definitely been a successful weekend.”
The Gators will look to extend their winning streak to four when they take on Camberwell away on Saturday, May 10, at 7pm.
Cadet journalist