Tara Murray
Altona Gators suffered their first loss of the Big V men’s division 2 season on Saturday.
Having started the season well, the Gators faced the Wallan Panthers for the second time in three rounds.
Having won the first match by six points, the Gators knew they had to play well to get the win this time round.
It was an up and down game, with both sides having moments of dominance.
The Gators were down at half time, before a 21-13 third quarter reduced the margin to one point.
The Panthers regrouped and were able to outscore the Gators in the final quarter, 24-19, to seal the win.
Jovan Bojanic top scored with 24 points for the Gators in the loss.
Despite the loss, the Gators remain on top of the ladder with four wins from five matches.
The Gators will head down in Traralgon to play Gippsland United on Saturday night.
Meanwhile on Sunday, the Gators women’s side continued on their winning ways, beating the Surf Coast.
Playing at home the Gators were in no mood to mess about, restricting the Surf Coast to just three points in the first quarter,
The margin continued to grow and was up to 20 points at the main break.
The Gators continued to pile on the points in the second half to run away with an 81-34 win.
All eight Gators played got on the score sheet with Sharna Appleby top scoring with 27 points off the bench.
The minutes were shared around, with every player playing at least 17 minutes.
The Gators are one of three undefeated sides after three rounds. This week they face Blackburn Vikings on the road.
The Gators’ youth league men’s division 1 side lost to Sherbrooke 80-73, while the youth league women’s championship division side had a 67-52 win against the Casey Cavaliers.
