Buccs need to step up
The Sun City Plumbing Buccaneers took until the third quarter to fully counteract the visitor’s scare tactics at Tip Top Stadium.
Evans said his team needed to show more muscle in defence.
“It all comes down to defensive intensity,” he said. “We need to be a bit more physical.
“When we pick it up in defence we get more stops and we start to look a lot better.”
Adrian Majstrovich, top scorer for the game with 45 points, dominated the early contests for the Suns.
He bombed in four baskets from outside the arch and the Suns surged to a 33-21 lead at the first change.
The Buccs were persistently unsettled by the full-court pressure of the Suns, orchestrated by the zippy Adebayo Oladejo and Austin Bruton.
In the closing stages of the second half, the Buccs gained a short-lived lead thanks to a Ben Pepper layup, but Bruton swooped with a three to tie the scores 52-52 at the interval.
Zamroz was back to his clinical best with 34 points. The American was most effective in the second half when the Buccs began to pass, rather than persistently dribble the ball.
Pepper, 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Brian Connelly, 22 points and eight rebounds, stood up to the might of Justin Brown.
The home side took a 82-70 lead into the final change. The Suns continued their offensive push in the final term and cut the lead to just four points.
Aaron Ralph stepped up with a double to slam the door shut and the Buccs edged their way past the ton mark.
Evans said there was work to be done to make full use of Pepper’s presence in the keyway.
“Since Ben’s come in, things have changed a bit, as we were predominantly a jump-shooting team,” he said.
“We need to get that mix right with shooting from outside and getting the ball inside.”
It’s a mix Evans will want polished for Saturday’s home game against Stirling ahead of two stern tests away to Perth Redbacks and Goldfields Giants.
Article by Thomas Davis (Geraldton Guardian)
Photo by Geraldton Guardian
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