HORSHAM Hornets will rue a missed chance after both the ladies and men’s sides failed to capitalise and collect wins in a double-header against Corio Bay Stingrays on Saturday.
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The Hornets needed a win in both games to cement goals set out by the coaches in pre-match interviews with the Mail-Times.
Both sides were without important players for the Stingrays clashes, and faced tough match-ups against Millicent Magic on Sunday.
Sunday was the final regular season game for the Lady Hornets while the men’s side has one more game against the Terang Tornadoes on January 21.
Ladies
THE Lady Hornets had several tall players out for the game against the Stingrays, with Ella Bibby and Alexandra Brack both missing from the line-up. The home side lost 81-70.
The first half was a masterclass from the Hornets, the side moving the ball around with ease and finding the basket at regular intervals.
The experienced Sharon Fedke and the constant presence of Caitlin Story made it difficult for the Stingrays to get into good scoring positions.
In the second half, fatigue started to creep in and the Hornets lost momentum.
Coach Gareth Hiscock said even though the side lost, he was happy with the performance.
“We had a fair few pull out before the game, so we were a bit light on for numbers,” he said.
“Their talls killed us under the basket.”
Hiscock said in his half-time talk he told the team to get excited about how it was playing.
“Sharon has been a great outside shooter for years and she made at least three three-pointers,” he said.
“I was really quite happy with the cattle that we had tonight.”
Men’s
THE ladder-leading men’s side was surprised by the desire and tenacity shown by the Stingrays.
The Stingrays took the win 79-68.
Players absent from the line-up included experienced campaigners Damien Skurrie and Brett Goodgame.
A game that seemed even on the court ended in disappointment for the Hornets. The team has now lost top spot on the ladder to the Mount Gambier Lakers.
A shining spark for the Hornets was the charismatic Mitch Martin, who made two three-pointers in the game along in a match total of 14 points, the second highest for the squad.
The Hornets led in the first quarter, before the Stingrays established a strong defence and attack early in the second.
The home side also suffered some bad luck, with the ball almost always hitting the back of the ring and bouncing out to the Stingrays’ advantage to gain the rebound.
It seemed as though the Hornets would fight back in the final quarter, when the gap between the two teams was narrowed to nine points, but it was not to be for the Horsham side.
Both the Lady Hornets and the men’s team faced Millicent Magic on Sunday afternoon.
