Like they did in last year’s finals series, the Joondalup Wolves came to Geraldton and returned home with a win.

The Wolves, who eliminated the Buccs from las tyear’s finals, came back from a double digit deficit in the second half to record a 99-91 win in the Sun City Plumbing Geraldton Buccaneers’ first home game of the season.

Buccs coach Mark Heron said his side played too individual in the dying minutes of the game after scores were level with four minutes to play.

“It was an extremely disappointing result, we thought we should have won the game,” he said.

“The Wolves have been playing together for a long time and had their structures in place and we need to get to that stage.

“We played too individual down the stretch.”

Buccs Import Odartey Blankson made his debut in front of a packed Activewest Stadium, coming off the bench in the first quarter and top scored with 32 points for the home team.

Heron praised the efforts of the forward who gave the Buccs a much-needed inside presence.
“He was probably our most influential player,” he said.

“We did not expect him to play that much time. We left him on in the final quarter and that kind of hurt of structures, but we felt the guys on the floor could get the job done.”

Blankson arrived in Geraldton on Friday and had just one shootaround with his new teammates before Saturday night’s game.

He helped Geraldton build a five point lead at half-time and they extended that to double digits in the second half.

The Buccs’ high turnover count helped Joondalup get back in the game and they continued their momentum as they stifled the Buccs offence.

Article by: Taylor Courtland: Geraldton Newspapers Pty Ltd

Photo by Natasha Gilmartin: Buccs import Odartey Blankson in his debut.