By RUSSELL BENNETT
THE Pakenham Warriors’ Big V Division 2 playoff hopes are still alive after a come-from-behind 76-65 win over their Maccabi namesakes at Bialik Stadium in Hawthorn East on Sunday.
But the victory came at a heavy price with star rookie Hayden Davey set to miss the rest of the season after fracturing his wrist.
He picked up the injury after being on the receiving end of a hard foul on a fastbreak, before aggravating it further on the next play.
“He’d at least be in the top-two of our MVP voting right now and he’d be a runaway Rookie of the Year winner,” said Pakenham coach Ryan Rogers of his team’s best wing defender.
“He’s just got a really good temperament, listens and accepts advice from his coaches.”
Though Davey’s injury couldn’t have come at a worse time – given the Warriors are in the final stages of their regular season – Rogers said it would open up more minutes for the likes of Sean Armstrong, Savin Lopez and Lee Belton.
In hindsight, Sunday’s game showed signs of being an absolute horror for Pakenham from the outset with one of its two allocated Big V referees unable to make it due to a broken down car.
The opening tip was delayed by 20 minutes while a replacement referee was found – someone who just so happened to be watching the clash from the crowd.
Pakenham started slowly and trailed for all but the dying seconds of the first quarter before a Jim Viray (16 points and 5 rebounds) three-pointer tied the scores at 20 at the first change.
The in-form tandem of Andrew Savige (13 points and 14 rebounds) and Viray started promisingly but a combination of poor shot selection by the visitors and a failure to box out cost them dearly in the second quarter, trailing by eight at the half.
Maccabi’s Ben Polansky was on fire in the first half with 16 points, but he couldn’t add to his tally after the break with the Pakenham defense clamping down.
Benji Tamir (23 points, 10 rebounds and 6 steals) had another stellar individual game, but just like the last battle of the Warriors, he didn’t have enough support to counteract the strong all-around efforts of the Pakenham rotation.
As things stood, Pakenham’s season hung on a knife’s edge on Saturday night as Keilor almost managed to find a way past the red-hot Casey, but Rogers’ men lived to fight another day.
“We’ve currently got the highest number of wins in the club’s history – 11 – but we’re absolutely no certainty of making the finals,” he said.
“We’re just not executing at the start of games.”
Pakenham, currently occupying fourth spot on the ladder – a win clear of Keilor – will take on the Coburg Giants at the Cardinia Life Colosseum this Sunday from 1.30pm.
“They beat us last time we played them,” Rogers said.
“We owe them one.
“Our destiny is in our own hands right now and it’s important we keep it that way.”
This week’s clash will be point guard Cam Luke’s 200th Big V game and defensive stalwart Jay Richardson’s 50th.
