IF THE Dominos Pizza Buccaneers are to make the State Basketball League grand final, they must do it the hard way.

The Buccs lost the opening game of a best of three semi-final series against Lakeside Lightning 97-81 at the Tip Top Stadium on Saturday night.

The task – a huge one given Lakeside shooters Brad Jackson and Luke Payne who missed the game with flu will be back - is to beat Lakeside twice in two days in Perth next weekend.

The stats tell the story. Lakeside won the boards 52-39, converted 44 percent of field shots compared to the Buccs’ 36 percent and held the edge in turnovers, steals and assists.

The Buccs were on the backfoot from the start, trailing by 10 points after only six minutes and going to the first break down 25-17.

The second term was better for the home team with Daniel Thomas igniting a rally, with several incisive runs while the Buccs defence managed to control the rebounds more effectively.

Lakeside led 38-37 at half time and the huge crowd was buoyant knowing the Buccs tend to play better in the second half.

But no-one told Steve Butler who peeled off five successive three-pointers to power Lakeside to a 64-51 lead at three-quarter time.

A criticism that could not be made of the Buccs was a lack of desire and they went into the last term in top gear.

They cut the deficit to eight points, but Lakeside kept converting and the Buccs, increasingly forced to go long, always a low percentage option, could not close the gap.

In the final minutes, Buccs captain Mat Wundenburg and Luke Meyer fouled out but it was all over by then and Lakeside fully earned its 18-point win. The scoreboard did not lie.

Between them imports Meyer and Michael LeBlanc managed only 22 points at 37 percent and while Daniel Thomas landed 29 points, he had an ordinary game, frustrated the refs kept pinging him.

The Buccs are a better side than this. They have heart and work hard for each other but the truth is they did not play smart basketball. Coach Ray Evans has some thinking to do.

Not surprisingly, Lakeside coach Andy Stewart was full of praise for his players.

“I’m absolutely delighted especially as we went into the game without two of our best shooters in Jackson and Payne,” Stewart said.

“But we knuckled down and executed our game plan to perfection and to keep a quality side like the Buccs to 81 points is awesome.

“All the boys put in with great defence from Ryan and Chris Sofoulis and phenomenal shooting from Butler.

“I said at half time that if someone stepped up and took ownership we would win and Butler did that.”

Despite the result, Stewart promised his team would take nothing for granted.

“No way – the Buccs are a quality programme and we won’t presume anything - the job isn’t finished.”

Details: Lakeside 97 (R Sofoulis 27, S Butler 25, J Prue 20, C Sofoulis 13) def Geraldton 81 (D Thomas 29, T Witts 16, L Meyer 12, M LeBlanc 10).

Article by Victor Tanti (Geraldton Guardian)
Photo by Marg Prior