SUN City Plumbing Geraldton Buccaneers coach Ray Evans is wary of the sleeping Giants this weekend as the Goldfields squad travel to Activewest Stadium.

The Goldfields Giants have lost their last three games this season after winning their season opener.

Despite the poor run of form from their country counterparts, Evans expects the weekend’s game to be fiercely contested.

“They are a much better team than their ladder position suggests,” he said.

“In most of the games that they have lost, they have had the lead late in the game but just cannot hold on which is a confidence thing and that’s how we played last year.”

Andrew Horstman will again suit up in the blue and gold this week after making his return to the SBL last week.

Evans said Horstman is a week by week proposition and his fitness and health will determine what games he plays.

Ty Harrellson leads the Giants with an average of 19.8 points a game while also leading the team in assists with five and a half a game.

Goldfields’ Michael Haney has also been impressive this year, helping his team with 16 points and 13 and a half assists per game.

Evans said his side’s defensive pressure will decide the outcome of the game.

“It is a massive rivalry but if we keep up the defensive intensity we have shown over the last few games we will win,” he said.

“They have gotten wins in Geraldton over the last few seasons but it is our responsibility to keep them down this year.”

Meanwhile, in other Buccs news, centre Ben Pepper said he has not contemplated retirement despite the possibility of needing knee surgery.

Pepper will visit a specialist on April 12, in the hope of finding the cause of his recurring knee injury.

“I think I am probably stuck on the sidelines for about six weeks,” he said.

“I want to stay involved with the team and hopefully if I do need surgery, the knee will be better than ever when I come back so then I can help out the side later in the year.”

Article by Taylour Courtland (Geraldton Guardian