Buccs coach upbeat as home series beckons

In a nailbiting finish, the Perth Redbacks beat the Geraldton Buccaneers by the narrowest of margins at Belmont Oasis on Saturday with a final score of 86-85. Buccs coach Dayle Joseph said the Redbacks’ Marshall Nelson snatched the lead in the last seconds of the game. “We were in control for most of the game and it is probably one we should have won, but lost control in the last minute-and-a-half,” he said. “It was a good game, they played to their strengths, and we tried to play to ours but their quickness and three-point shooting got them there in the end.” He singled out Aaron Ralph and Brayden Inger for their contributions, particularly in the first half. In the second West Coast Classic away game of the weekend, the Buccs lost to Kalamunda Eastern Suns by 10 points at Ray Owen Sports Centre on Sunday, when the Suns scored 85 to Geraldton’s 75. “In the third quarter they got a good spurt that put them in the lead and we didn’t get it back,” Joseph said. “We were just playing catch-up basketball from that point on.” He said the highest scorer on Sunday was Jesse Hunt, while Inger also played well. Despite the losses, Joseph remained upbeat about his team’s performance. “I think we are probably undermanned a little bit but I’m really proud of the way we have been playing,” he said. The Buccs will host the Senators at Activewest Stadium this Saturday in the first of six home games, after having played six games away.