The match between the Singapore Slingers and the Gold Coast Blaze on 26 Sep sat the Slingers’ fans on a rollercoaster ride as both teams were close to nabbing their first win of the season.

The Slingers’s performance was a little lack lustre as they fell behind 12-25 at one point of the 1st quarter. While they got better and better towards the end of the match, narrowing the score gap between them and the Blaze, they still fell back by a close 6 points, killing off the excitement with a loss of 93-99.

Not only was Gordon McLeod, the Slingers’ coach, disappointed, so were the Slingers’ fans whose support was strongly witnessed, even with a noticeably smaller crowd as compared to the previous game against the Melbourne Tigers.

While some might have noted the fans’ conduct to be in lacking of good sportsmanship, the resounding jeering while the Blaze was making their free throws could also be seen as a heart-warming testimony to how strongly the Slingers’ fans feel about the Slingers.

Nonetheless, the crowd clapped for both teams at the end of the game as an appreciation for their effort in putting up a good performance before they dispersed.

1st Quarter Performance

With Rod Grizzard, Chris Cameron, Shane McDonald, Mike Helms and Ben Knight in the main line up for the Slingers and Jauquin Hawkins, Jason Crowe, Scott McGregor, Ben Melmeth and James Harvey in the main line up for the Blaze, the 1st quarter ended with a score of 24-31 with the Blaze leading.

Harvey displayed exemplary shooting performance, netting 13 points for the Blaze. Grizzard did not perform as well as expected, putting in 4 points for the Slingers. Thankfully, with Helms putting in 8 points for the team, the Slingers did not lag further than the score of 24-31.

2nd Quarter Performance

With help from John Fitzgerald, Helms, Knight and McDonald in the 2nd quarter of the game, the score was yanked up to a gratifying 59-60, leaving the Slingers behind by a mere point.

Known for double-figure points contribution, Harvey’s total points clocked up to 22, the highest so far in both teams.

Coach McLeod agreed that the team’s performance definitely picked up in the 2nd quarter. He also said that most of the players, even the more experienced ones, have never played with the Blaze before and they have made good adjustments.

3rd Quarter Performance

The 3rd quarter was a slow one, and also one that left the Slingers hanging behind as the score ended at 68-80 with the Slingers lagging by 12 points. Surprise player Fitzgerald put in a total of 11 points and even as Helms, Knight and McDonald stepped up their game, it was not enough as there were many loopholes in their defense system.

One thing to note is the number of personal fouls made in this game with a few players clocking in 5 to 6 personal fouls each, it was a night of free throws, making it a true test of accuracy for the players.

4th Quarter Performance

The last quarter proved to be the most exciting of the lot as the Slingers lashed out their defense in full force, bringing them back into the game in the last 2 mins. The audience could see for themselves the intensity of the quarter as the Slingers try their very best to bring back the score by attempting several shots outside the arc.

The Blaze also brought out their best but made a blunder by committing one too many fouls, thus giving the Slingers a chance to inch back with several free throws. And with that, it left the audience standing on their feet as they held their hopes in anticipation to see the Slingers’ 1st win.

But time was not on their side and the Slingers fell short 6 points behind the Blaze, ending the match rather frustratingly.

Despite this, Helms did well, scoring a high of 27 points with Knight, Fitzgerald and McDonald with the second highest of 17 points. Top scorers on the Blaze’s team included Harvey also at 27 points, followed by Hawkins at 17 points and Pero Cameron at 14 points.

Stay Strong Slingers Fans!

Coach McLeod complimented Michael Wong for his “good energy” even though he didn’t put in any points, as it was probably due to his nerves.

With regards to his vision in this season, Coach McLeod has obviously planned his steps carefully, stating that “basketball is complicated”, and defense is their biggest challenge. He said that they have to make small steps and improvements and focus on the Slingers. With the right attitude, the Slingers will be on form in their next game at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on 2 Oct at 7.30pm!