By RUSSELL BENNETT
FRUSTRATING. That’s probably the best word to sum up the Pakenham Warriors’ season in Division 2 of Big V men’s basketball.
It was the prevailing thought from coach Jeff Reid, who was still bitterly disappointed when he spoke to the Gazette in the days following his team’s 97-84 loss to the Giants in their elimination final in Coburg on Saturday night.
The Warriors finished fifth on the Division 2 standings with 10 wins and eight losses from their 18 games, but they won their last five games of the regular season – giving a glimpse as to just what the roster was really capable of all year.
“I guess the thing that frustrates me the most is that it feels like we wasted a great opportunity,” Reid said.
“We definitely had the talent.”
One of those wins in the final five games was against the Giants, but they also dropped one against them at the final buzzer back in round five. That result, along with the Warriors “not turning up” against Mornington in round 12 compounded Reid’s frustration.
“Coburg finished a game ahead of us in the end,” he said.
“We’d been playing really well in front of our home crowd, so that would have been a big advantage for us.
“You can’t afford to drop those close ones.
“I’m really disappointed it took until five weeks before the finals for us to really turn it on.”
Reid said his side entered Saturday’s game with a positive mindset, adding that “everything seemed to be clicking” on the back of their winning streak.
But the Warriors had three points of emphasis heading into the final, and fell away in each – pushing the tempo at every opportunity, attacking Coburg’s bigs and getting them in early foul trouble, and staying disciplined in getting into their offensive sets.
Pakenham was up by a point at half-time – 43-42 – but Reid described that half as “our worst half of basketball in six or seven weeks”.
The Warriors then only managed 11 points in the third, due to over-dribbling and losing their focus on team-first.
“And there were just mental mistakes, like one of their guys leaking out and no-one going with him,” he said.
Star import Darren Galloway finished with 26 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals and 4 assists but he also picked up four turnovers, and he was the only Warriors player to record more than one dime.
“Darren got his, which was great, but he’d been bringing his team-mates into the game a lot more over the past few weeks,” Reid said.
“We probably reverted a little bit to selfish ball.”
The Warriors’ cause was (literally) hurt by big man and captain Paul Phillips rolling his troublesome ankle in the first quarter.
“It was a real loss for us not having him out there,” Reid said.
“The way he bangs in the paint, his bodywork, and his leadership; not just his rebounds.”
Mweeba Maluma finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists for Coburg; while Mabor Maniel picked up 17 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists but had 6 turnovers.
Jordan Harding had 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assists but had five turnovers of his own.
For Pakenham, Darrell Morgan finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds on 7-19 shooting, while Sean Armstrong had 17 points and Hayden Davey 11 points and 7 rebounds.
Reid said he wasn’t sure if he’d be coaching the team next season, adding “I’ve got a lot of thinking to do”.
But the emotion of what the ruthless competitor deemed to be a premature end to his team’s season would no doubt still have been running high.
“Everyone said they were happy and proud of the job I did (as coach),” he said.
“The club put no pressure on me at the start – just that they expected us to be competitive in every game.
“Overall, I’d say the season wasn’t too bad.”
Just … frustrating.
