Slammers in thrilling win

The Printsync South West Slammers men’s team showed tremendous grit on Saturday night, pipping the Kalamunda Eastern Suns 74-73 at the Ray Own Sports Centre. After being sent to the free-throw line with the score tied, youngster Leigh Rickwood-Pitt sunk the second of his shots, which put the visitors in front with seven seconds left in the game. Much to the delight of Slammers coach Mark Worthington, his side managed to seal the deal after Rickwood-Pitt’s successful shot, which puts his group in a good place mentally moving forward. “There were a lot of little things that I really enjoyed from that game,” he said. “They came out and smacked us in the mouth early in the first quarter — and I think we were down 14-6. So for us to even it up at 22-all in the second quarter was great. “We also faced our demons in terms of having a lead and losing it. We then found a way to get back and win the game. “And for a young group that has always been told that their best effort is good enough, it is really rewarding to see them learn how to grind out a win when momentum was against us during the last five minutes of the fourth quarter.” Mitch Keller starred for the Slammers with 20 points and 16 rebounds, while Cory Richardson also had 11 points. But Worthington was impressed with his side across the board. “Mitch and Richo both had good games,” he said. “They both have been great for a number of games, but I really believed Rhys Barrett had his best weekend so far for us. “His defensive pressure, along with Rivar Evans, really turned the game in a lot of ways. They were exceptional — and it probably stopped Devan Craig getting more minutes, because they were having an impact on the game.” A night earlier, the Slammers went down 81-57 against the Willetton Tigers at the Eaton Recreation Centre, with Hayden Noordhoek (17 points) bobbing up periodically to stifle inroads made by the home side. “They played great basketball,” he said. “Our guys also played well and fought hard. And really, 24 points probably was not a true reflection on how that game felt.”