James Murphy
THE Millicent Magic men face a second consecutive Country Basketball League double-header on their home court at Peter Seebohm Stadium this weekend.
The Magic emerged from last round with two good wins, against Portland Coasters and Warrnambool Seahawks, with this week sure to provide another challenge.
Millicent prevailed by six and 10 points respectively last week, as it welcomed back some personnel missing from the previous round.
Jack Haggett was a focal point under the hoop in both games, while the likes of Jackson Bowden and Bradley brothers Frazer and Kade also impressed.
This round starts with a clash against Surfcoast Chargers tomorrow night, which could produce a tight game.
The Chargers have played six games for the season, with two wins and four losses.
However, they recently kept within 21 points of ladder leader Ararat Redbacks and have suffered a couple of narrow losses along the way.
On Sunday the Magic faces a greater task, when they host the Redbacks, who visit the South East for a double-header of their own.
Following a short hiatus from the CBL during Covid, Millicent has had to reacquaint itself with what to expect from opposition teams.
As such, coach Darren Dean hopes to gain some insight into the Redbacks after their Saturday night match.
“I guess it is a bit of an unknown because we haven’t played in the league for a couple of years,” he said.
“It is about getting a bit of feedback from the boys and obviously having a look at who performs well against Mount Gambier on Saturday night.”
Internally, Dean said the focus has been on discipline and defence.
Last week saw an improved performance, following some foul trouble the previous round.
The Magic’s defensive efforts also came to the fore last week.
“We are not the highest scoring team in the league,” Dean said.
“We sort of know where we want to hold teams to and we have a bit of work to try and stop some of these higher scoring teams.
“We are trying to build a real focus on defence.”
At the other end of the court, Millicent looks to an even contribution on the scoreboard.
So far that approach has reaped its rewards, with a handful of double-figure scorers in the last two games.
“We don’t have any superstars who are going to be dominating the game for us, but I think we have a good even spread amongst the group where everyone can chip in,” Dean said.
Saturday’s match tips off at 8.30pm, while Sunday afternoon’s meeting with the Redbacks is scheduled for a 12.30pm start.
