Warriors wilt in season opener

AFTER a preseason of hype and anticipation, the Maccabi Warriors turned in a patchy performance in their season opener against Pakenham Warriors, going down 70-62.

In front of a huge, vocal home crowd, Maccabi trailed by as many as 33 points late in the third term, before effecting a stunning form reversal in the final stanza, piling on 34 points and restricting Pakenham to just 11.

Boom recruit Jason Conway led the scoring for the Warriors with 17 points, and was well supported by James Tsun (14) and Benji Tamir, who managed 11 points despite limited court time.

The Warriors’ intensity was evident from the get-go, with veteran Eric Witschel opening Maccabi’s account with a free throw, before Tsun netted the Warriors’ first two-pointer of the season. Pakenham’s Dale Taylor responded with a three, before Tamir fired back with his own. Josh Burns, Witschel and Conway worked hard at both ends of the court, before a late run gave Pakenham a 13-10 advantage.

The sides traded bombs from beyond the arc in the second quarter, Tsun and Conway doing the damage for the hosts. But late in the term, the profligacy that plagued the Warriors last year began to emerge and Pakenham took advantage, extending its lead to 10 at the main break.

It was all Pakenham in the third term as the Warriors imploded. Turnovers and poor skills dogged the side, which was completely exposed in defence. The capitulation saw Pakenham blow the lead out to a massive 33 points at the final break.

But the Warriors proved they may yet be a force this season, showcasing their talent in a dominant last term. Two points from Tamir early on was the catalyst for a Warriors assault as Maccabi attempted to salvage some dignity.

Tsun led the charge with two of his four three-pointers coming in the last term, including one that reduced the margin to just six late in the game.

The Warriors will look for an improved performance next week and look set to include powerhouses Gili Smolboard and Jonty Rzechta for their first hit-out of the season.

The Warriors play Coburg on Saturday night at 8.30pm at Coburg Basketball Stadium (Melway: 18 A10).

DARREN TENDLER