INBRIEF

Basketball

Altona Gators were outplayed from start to finish in a 76-58 loss to the Whittlesea Pacers in the Big V men’s division 1. The Gators fell behind early and never recovered, despite solid contributions from Joey Mausar (16 points), Craig Martin (12 points and 11 rebounds) and Shaun Phelan (12 points and nine rebounds). In women’s division 1, the young Gators were bludgeoned 92-46 by the Pacers, with Ashleigh Richardson’s 10 points and 13 rebounds a rare highlight on a bleak night.

Golf

Kooringal remains in the hunt for a semi-final berth in the Golf Victoria men’s division 3 pennant, despite a 5-2 loss to bottom-of-the-ladder Royal Melbourne on Sunday. Medway will also make a play for finals action in division 4 in this weekend’s seventh and last round, even after its 5-2 defeat to Northern. In women’s division 4, finals chaser Medway was victorious 6-1 over second-last Kooringal in the western derby at Medway on Sunday.

Baseball

Star infielder Matthew Lawman has claimed the Jack & Beryl Bunting Trophy as the Newport Rams’ most valuable player. Lawman got the job done both in the batters’ box and defensively at shortstop in a Rams promotion year. The other MVPs were: Ned Franklin (seconds), Jack Van Wyngaarden (thirds) and Bruce Boucher (fourths).

Cycling

Adam Murchie broke a 15-year hoodoo by taking out the prize that has eluded him for so long — the Bob Robson Memorial Anzac Day Criteriums. Murchie and rising star Adam Trewin formed a successful breakaway in the 53rd edition of the race, but Murchie, a Kensington resident, timed his ride to perfection to get the spoils from Trewin, Nathan Page and Paul Anders.