Geraldton Buccaneers keep home streak going with 89-70 win over Lakeside Lightning

The Buccaneers remain undefeated as they took care of business at home with an 89-70 win over the Lakeside Lightning on Saturday.

After going on the road for back-to-back games, the Buccs enjoyed being back home against a struggling Lightning side who are yet to grab a win this season.

This match had US import Josh Braun debut in Buccaneers colours after arriving on Thursday, while Fletcher Klasztorny also made his first appearance of the season.

Geraldton came out fast, running up a double-digit lead early as Nik DeSantis had 10 points in the first term.

Former league MVP Braun introduced himself to the home crowd as he scored consecutive threes in the first.

A three from captain Aaron Ralph had the game looking bleak early for Lakeside, but a scoring run from the away team brought the scores close at the half-time break.

It became a back-and-forth contest in the third quarter, but a five-point run from Liam Hunt helped Geraldton maintain their lead.

A Marshawn Blackmon layup for Lakeside at the end of the third made it a five-point game going into the last period.

Despite the contest being tight at the start of the fourth, the Buccaneers put the game to bed, with Johny Narkle and DeSantis combining for 18 points, as Geraldton outscored the Lightning 26-12 to wrap up the game.

DeSantis finished as the points and assists leader with 24 and eight, Narkle had 12 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, Klasztorny had 10 points, four rebounds and three assists, and Ralph had 10 points and four rebounds.

The newest face on the team, Braun, scored nine points off three deep shots in the limited minutes he played.

Lakeside’s Josh Davey had 14 first-half points and looked to be a threat on the offensive side, but Geraldton were able to shut him down in the second half as he scored just four points in the rest of the game.

After allowing a high score from Mandurah last week, the Buccaneers came out with a defensive game plan, grabbing 37 rebounds on the defensive side and holding the Lightning to just 70 points.

Both teams shot poorly from the free-throw line, with Geraldton’s percentage at 69.23 and Lakeside’s at 62.07 in the contest.

The win puts the Buccaneers at second on the ladder with a 4-0 record. They are one of only two teams that remain undefeated — the other being the Joondalup Wolves, who Geraldton beat in last year’s grand final.

Lakeside move to bottom of the ladder at 0-4, the only team without a win in the NBL1 West.

Geraldton will remain at home this week as they host the Goldfields Giants on Saturday night, who are sitting at fifth on the ladder with a 2-2 record.

The Buccs will look to continue their impressive record at home, with the club on an 18-game winning streak at Activewest Stadium that spans over three seasons.