Werribee Devils finally saw the light at the end of a dark tunnel in the Big V basketball men’s championship.
The desperate Devils won two of their past three games to ease a little bit of the pain of a 12-game losing streak that shattered the season.
The Devils clawed their way off the bottom of the ladder on Saturday night with an 82-71 upset over Hawthorn Magic at the Boroondara Sports Complex.
“It’s good to sort of get back on track,” Devils guard Jordan Hughes told
Star Weekly. “It’s been pretty tough for us, but to get back on the winners’ list is definitely a good thing.”
The Devils are starting to get the best out of their two star recruits; Darcy Harding and import David Cobb were outstanding.
Harding, a forward recruited from SEABL club Albury in the off-season, showed his star qualities, coming away from the match with a game-high 30 points and eight rebounds, to the delight of Hughes.
“He’s just feeling more comfortable in the team and we know what he does best and where he’s able to score and be most effective,” Hughes said. “So we’re getting him in those positions now where he can be of the best use to us.
“He can step out and shoot it and he’s pretty quick for other bigs to stay in front of, so he’s got a good mix going on.”
Cobb, a centre imported from the US, has been a prodigious rebounder since arriving at the Devils, leading the competition with an average of 13.2 per game.
His determined offence was crucial to the Devils this time around; with 22 points to go, his 12 rebounds and three steals made the difference.
“To get points out of him is definitely a bonus,” Hughes said. “He’s always able to rebound well for us and adding double-figure points just gives us another avenue to put some points on the board.”
Hughes finished with 14 points and four rebounds, while Anthony Luxford and Andrew Johnston provided energy off the bench.
The Devils have a big double-header this weekend, travelling to Bulleen Boomers on Saturday night, with Sunday at home against Melbourne Tigers at Eagle Stadium.
In the women’s division 1, Werribee Devils lost both games on a double-header weekend, firstly 79-48 to Camberwell Dragons at home on Saturday night, then 81-52 to Geelong Supercats away on Sunday.
The Devils will visit the Hawthorn Magic on Saturday in an earlier-than-usual 5pm tip-off.
