Altona Gators arrived too late to the party in the Big V basketball men’s division 2 on Sunday.
The Gators were blown out of the water in the first half by the Camberwell Dragons at Balwyn High School and wound up losing 85-72 in a fairly one-sided game.
It was a spirited Gators performance in the second half, but its only value came in adding some respectability to the final score.
The ugly first two periods, when they were out-scored 50-29, consigned the Gators to inevitable defeat.
Justin Eckhardt and Jeremy Edwards could hold their heads up high for Altona.
Eckhardt led the Gators with 23 points, while Edwards contributed 16.
Altona’s passing game was non-existent.
They recorded 22 turnovers and only five assists – not the assist-to-turnover ratio that will win too many games.
At 5-7, Altona is still not out of the finals hunt, but it will need to get a wriggle on, starting with Sunday’s game against Mildura Heat at the Altona Sports Centre.
In women’s division 2, Altona Gators remain anchored to the bottom of the ladder without a win.
The Gators were shown no mercy by the undefeated Warrnambool Mermaids, losing 102-46 at The Arc Sports Stadium on Saturday night.
Jordan Bridge was the shining light for the Gators with 11 points, 12 rebounds and five assists.
She was extremely efficient with her shooting, going four-from-five from the field and two-from-two from beyond the arc.
Eden Donoghue and Cassie Favero scored nine points apiece for the Gators.
Altona will have two weeks to re-group before three consecutive home games, starting with Collingwood All Stars on June 18.
