THE Kennedys Tours Shoalhaven Tigers men’s team have continued their perfect start to the 2017 2017 NSW Waratah League division one season.
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At the Tigers Den, Ian Ozolins’ men defeated the tough Wagga Wagga Heat 77-69, seeing the team win their fourth straight match to open the year.
“The most pleasing thing about the perfect start is the different way we have been able to secure the victories,” Ozolins said.
“Obviously we have plenty of firepower in our side but we were forced to grind out the win on Saturday.
“Last year, we dropped points in close games like the one at the weekend but there’s a belief in the group that we can beat anyone.
“I think that stems from the great relationship the whole group has on and off the floor.
“Hopefully we can use this to springboard into the rest of the season.”
The Tigers again started slow on Saturday, largely due to a 10-2 foul count against team in the opening quarter.
‘We obviously started slower than we would have liked, but after we made some adjustments, we started to get into the game a little better,” Ozolins said.
“We were missing easy shots that we know we can make and that was putting unnecessary pressure on ourselves.
“Once we all figured out that the only reason that the Heat were still in the match was their offensive rebounding, our intensity lifted on the glass and our running game flowed out of that.”
With starting centre Jackson Weeks being in foul trouble for most of the encounter, before eventually fouling out in the fourth quarter, Ozolins was impressed with the way his bench stepped up.
“Tim Hanlon was again fantastic and was probably the difference between the two teams,” he said,
“The way he and Ben Morris rebounded and played on defence was infectious and really got us going.”
The first-placed Tigers will now enjoy a weekend off before hosting the ninth-placed Lithgow Lazers, who have three wins and two losses on the season, on Saturday, March 8 from 7pm.