HORSHAM Hornets play host to wooden-spoon favourite Darebin Giants in the Big V Basketball League division two competition tomorrow night at 7.30pm.
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The Hornets will go into the match coming off a solid 12-point win over Chelsea last round and will look to enter a four-game round swing undefeated.
The side will be without forward Mark Dorward and emerging guard Jordan Duncan due to work and junior representative commitments respectively.
Hornets coach Steve Bruce said the team would not take the Giants lightly.
"There is the saying that you never give a sucker an even break," he said.
"I want the boys to get out early and not let them get into the game.
"Last week I spoke to the players about controlling the tempo and making good decisions which we were able to do, but if we make bad decisions then we will struggle."
Bruce said there would be extra minutes for some players in the absence of Dorward and Duncan.
"There are about 22 extra minutes for someone to play," he said.
"So I will have to look at who will get those."
Melbourne University smashed the Giants by 58 points last round.
The Giants come into Horsham as a shadow of the team which upset the Hornets in the 2007 division three play-offs.
The side has only three players from its 2008 side remaining this season and those players were only marginal members of the side.
Star guard Sammy Gazzo and forward Maalo Hicks who tormented the Hornets in 2007 have both left the club this season.
"I watched them play in the pre- season competition in Melbourne," Bruce said.
"They are a small side and will try to push it up the court.
"If they can cause some match-up problems then they will trouble us but I think they will have no answer to Damien Skurrie and Ben New."
The Hornets had a balanced scoring line-up last round with Tim Pickert, Shaun Bruce and Skurrie all shooting well and Bruce said he hoped that trend would continue.
"As a coach I don't care who scores as long as we are making good decisions and shooting well," he said.
"We are going to play an up-tempo game all season."
The Hornets will have road matches for the next month so it will be the side's last match in Horsham until May 9.
