Buccs back ‘with confidence’ after splitting points in Perth

The Geraldton Buccaneers lost their first game of the season at the weekend, but coach Dayle Joseph said they had not come home with their tails between their legs.

In round 3 of the State Basketball League, the Buccs hit the road and headed for Perth, taking on two strong teams.

Their winning streak continued on Saturday night when they took on the Kalamunda Eastern Suns at Ray Owen Sports Centre, claiming a 117-88 victory.

“We got put under a little pressure and we were down a few at half-time, but the guys responded well,” Joseph said.

“We shot a lot better in the second half and got 82 points, which is a pretty good effort.”

On Sunday, the Buccs went up against the Perry Lakes Hawks — last season’s champions.

Despite fighting hard and staying in front most of the game, the Buccs were not able to stay on top in the final minutes, giving the Hawks a narrow lead and their second win of the season, 104-97.

But Joseph said he was proud of his team’s efforts.

“The Hawks are a bit of a benchmark team,” he said.

“We did some really good things and there are a few things we need to be better at that will make a difference next time we play the Hawks and going forward in the weeks to come.

“We haven’t come home with our tails between our legs, we’ve come home with confidence.”

The Buccs will return to Activewest Stadium on Saturday, where they will face the winless Cockburn Cougars.

“Cougars, at their best, can be tough — there’s a couple of players to watch,” Joseph said.

“We’ll do some homework, prepare for them and hopefully we can put in a good performance at home.”