Shepparton Gators step up and battle through injuries

Defensive Player of the Year from last season Nick Dodd also remained out.

The squad was so injury-plagued that assistant coach Ian Wright had to come out of retirement an hour before the game to fill a gap.

Much to Wright’s relief, he was not needed in the end.

Kiwi point guard Josh Kooiman led the team, joined in the backcourt by defensive workhorse Tom Frame.

This was Frame’s last game of the season before travelling abroad.

Vice-captain Sam Beks and New Zealand shooter Dylan Wilkie were brought into the starting line-up, alongside Tyler Best.

This was Best’s third game for the Gators, after joining the team midway through the season after his college season in America finished.

The young player from Seymour was recruited at the start of the season and has come in to supplement the loss of Frame.

If this game was an audition, he would’ve walked away with the lead role.

Best was dominant on both ends, making up for Shepparton’s injured big men by picking up 11 rebounds.

On offence, he was aggressive from the jump, punishing mismatches and bullying his way to the basket for easy points.

He added a few threes on his way to 19 points.

Kiwi snipers Kooiman and Wilkie also poured in points, with three triples each.

The undermanned Gators were firing on all cylinders, getting out to a 20-point lead in the third quarter.

Camberwell wasn’t going to roll over, staging a late comeback in the final period.

With the score 87-83, Shepparton was inbounding the ball with about a minute left.

Best was the receiver, but his defender made a play at the pass, Best feeling like he was fouled.

The referee did not agree and the Camberwell player stripped the ball from Best, running out into open court to cash in a wide-open layup.

With not a single player past the half-court line and a chance to make it a one possession game, he fumbled the ball out of bounds.

The travelling Camberwell bench held its heads in horror.

Camberwell was still very much in the game, with more turnovers from Shepparton keeping the door wide open for late drama.

Camberwell had the ball down three with 30 seconds left.

It attempted to throw a pass into its big man, before Best dived over and swatted it into the arms of Frame, capping his stellar performance with the game-winning play.

Kooiman was then sent to the line for free-throws, converting both and sealing the victory for the home side, with the final score 90-85.

Coach Josh Waight said with many of the players forced to play a bigger role with the injuries, he challenged them to give the coaches something to think about.

“People got a chance to step up and they did a great job,” Waight said.

“They definitely earned some more minutes.”

Best said he was told by Waight to come out and be aggressive and that he was filled with confidence coming into the contest.

“Credit to them, they came out playing in the fourth quarter,” Best said.

“We knew they would go on a run, you just have to stay calm and stick to what you know.

“It’s great to get a win this week.

“It’s tough to come in, I’ve only been here two weeks and I’m trying to fast-track through everything and learn how they play.

“My teammates and the coaching staff have been great at trusting me to play my game while implementing me into how the team plays.”

Best heaped praise on a packed out Shepparton Sports Stadium and said the Swamp was rocking in a way he’d never experienced before.

“These guys (the fans) are awesome,” Best said.

“Obviously I’ve only been here for two weekends, but I’ve watched the games online, I’ve seen the videos and pictures of the crowds.

“They pack that whole stand and then you’ve got all these people behind the bench.

“The kids and everyone are so loud and it gives us such a great home-court advantage that no other club has.

“It’s awesome to be a part of and awesome to play in front of.”

Shepparton Gators continue to fight to make their way up the table, sitting at eighth with one win less than third place.

They travel to take on Melbourne University on Saturday, June 1, at 8.30pm.