ALTONA Gators’ finals aspirations are on death row in Big V basketball men’s division 1.
The Gators are merely awaiting their execution after Sunday’s 85-75 loss to Mildura Heat at the Altona Sports Centre.
The loss leaves the Gators two games outside the Terril pool top four with two rounds left in the season.
That means a Gators’ loss, or victory for Melbourne University, will slam the door shut on the Altona finals push.
Gators coach Randy Shanklin admitted the situation was “not looking so good”.
“It [finals] is a possibility, an outside chance if Melbourne University lose their last two, but we would also need to win both of our games,” he said.
The Gators struggled to defend their home court against the Heat.
They were ripped apart in the first half and trailed by 15 at half-time.
The deficit blew out to as much as 19 as foul trouble mounted for Shaun Phelan, Milos Trkulja, Matthew Jon and Joey Mausar.
Yet the Gators fought until the bitter end, closing the gap to eight at one point before their legs tired.
“We literally had a short line-up, a team full of guards, in the game,” Shanklin said.
“We were running a small unit and they did really well. I was proud of them.”
Heat import Calvin Henry, a tall, athletic jack in the box, landed the knockout blows with 36 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.
Henry, who averages a league high 29.6 points and 12.2 rebounds, was unstoppable.
“He’s a star,” Shanklin said. “He probably doesn’t belong in this league, to be honest.
“He works inside and outside; he’s a tough match-up because if you put somebody who is too small on him, he goes inside … if you put someone on him who’s too tall, he’s quicker than they are on the perimeter.”
Joey Mausar was the pick of the Gators with 15 points, five steals, four rebounds and four assists.
Mausar was able to restrict the Heat’s other import, Terrell Bell, to a modest 10 points and eight boards.
The Gators’ first do-or-die fixture will come against the McKinnon Cougars on Sunday at the Altona Sports Centre.
Meanwhile, the Altona Gators lost 74-62 to the Hawthorn Magic in the clash of the bottom two in the women’s division 1.
Jayne-Maree Sant posted a double-double 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Gators.
