Dragons still perfect entering
Undermanned, playing without Brooke Arrowsmith (study), DK Kang (USA), Matty the Rocket (Sydney) and Big Fella Boyd (errr…I’m sure he provided a reason but I can’t recall it), and in the second game of their testing 5-game stretch, the Dragons faced the equal 2nd placed Team Dawn.
The Dragons knew that their regular stars Top Cat Cartwright and Hot Shot Hui would have to be right on top of their game, and their defense would have to be extremely solid if they were to go the distance and withstand their eager opponents. The game started with a flurry of baskets – Hadjitello seizing an opportunity on the defensive end to open the game’s scoring by stealing an errant pass and running the ball down before connecting on a 3-pointer. This in a sense, set the tone for the Dragons’ opening half. Some big plays from Hot Shot Hui (10 points in the first half) saw the Dragons’ lead hover between three and seven points throughout the half, before Team Dawn came up with a couple of big shots heading into half time. AK Kojevnikov and Dominator Malekas proved menacing in defense, grabbing many rebounds and using their height advantage to ensure that the Dragons’ opponents didn’t have many second chance opportunities.
As the clock wound down to half time, Hadjitello found Top Cat with a slick, however extremely lucky precision pass that split the defense and allowed Top Cat to convert an easy lay-up, one of her many for the game, just as the buzzer sounded. The Dragons took a 24–17 lead into half time, and were feeling confident, if a little buggered.
The second half was all about defense, and was a low-scoring affair. The Dragons were disciplined in their guarding of the perimeter and picked off multiple Team Dawn passes. Frank the Tank had his hands on just about everything, coming up with steal after steal, which led to some valuable transition baskets for the Dragons given the circumstances. Although his shot was off target early in the second half, Hot Shot Hui came good and hit a couple of big jump-shots down the stretch to thwart any idea of a Team Dawn rally.
Leading 32–21 with 6 minutes to go, the Dragons called a timeout and discussed maintaining possession of the ball in offense and only taking open shots. We were to make our opponents come to us and work to get the win. Immediately after the time-out, Hadjitello found himself wide open at the top of the 3-point line and casually drilled a 3-point bomb to nail the coffin shut on Team Dawn.
The Dragons take their Season 2 record to 9 Wins from as many games, and their current win streak is extended to 15 without loss. The Dragons return to action on Wednesday 23 January at 8:30 against the 4th placed Black Knights as their championship drive continues!
On behalf of all the Deloitte Dragons, we thank all our supporters and blog readers for your support and wish you a safe and happy festive season. We look forward to your continued support in 2008!
Go Dragons!
