After three consecutive away games, the Shepparton Gators are injecting this weekend with a double dose of Swamp fever.
They welcome two of the Big V championship’s best teams to the Shepparton Sports Stadium in round seven.
Second-placed Keysborough will take on the seventh-placed Shepparton on Saturday night, May 18, at 7pm.
The Gators will then back that up by hosting reigning champions and fourth-placed McKinnon on Sunday, May 19, at 1pm.
Shepparton has already played McKinnon, in a stunning game that saw the Gators almost steal one on the road.
A late fourth-quarter comeback fell just short, losing 92-95.
Head coach Josh Waight said the boys had had an extra pep in their step at training this week ahead of their homecoming.
“It will be the first time we don’t have to travel at all this season,” Waight said.
“We’re all very excited to get back in front of our home crowd.
“They bring the energy and give us a real boost.”
After a few tough losses, Waight said he was happy with how Shepparton closed out its last game in a victory against Blackburn, but that the players were still lacking a consistent four-quarter effort.
“These are good teams (Keysborough and McKinnon) and if we’re not disciplined we will be punished,” he said.
“That’s why it was pleasing to see us really close well last game, but we wouldn’t have been in that position if we hadn’t had lapses in the third quarter.”
Waight said it was huge to see Kiwi import Josh Kooiman excel last game.
The point guard has shot the ball poorly from the field this season, but Waight said the team trusted him and that as long as he kept the confidence and kept shooting, the shots would start falling.
Waight also pointed out that starting shooting guard Tom Frame had just a few weeks left with the squad before departing for the season to travel abroad.
He said Frame’s defensive presence would be difficult to replace.
But on the plus side, this week Tyler Best will be in the squad for the first time.
Best is a Seymour native in his early 20s, who was a Country Basketball League conference MVP a few years ago.
He’s joined the Gators after his college season finished in the United States, and has already been training with the team.
“He’s another decent body at the guard position,” Waight said.
“We want to ease him in, but we’re going to need him.
“He’ll be in the squad this weekend, he’s trained really well and fit into the group, so excited to see what he’s going to add to our side.”
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