Gators' Alice Ludlow drives through contact.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
A final quarter fadeout was what lay between the Shepparton Gators women’s first win since it returned to the Big V, as it made its most gallant effort yet at home in round six.
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The Gators laced up the basketball shoes on Sunday against Mornington and fought back from a slow start to challenge a plucky Breakers side.
Shepparton was held to 22 per cent from the field in the first term, scoring just four points as Mornington rolled out to a 10-point advantage but dominant second and third periods from the home side set up a blockbuster finish.
The Gators fought tooth and nail to reel the deficit back, outscoring the Breakers by one in the second term as they restricted Mornington’s previous knock-down three point shooting to just 16.7 per cent.
The third term saw Shepparton finally break through with its own shooting form, scoring in a flurry to close down the half time margin to nine.
The Gators efficient offence recorded a game high 23-point quarter for either side, and at one stage the Gators even led by six points after an eight-point run.
However, a seven-point streak for the Breakers would hand the visitors back the lead, but the margin was closed to one point ahead of the final quarter.
However, it would be so close, yet so far for the Gators.
Shepparton would tie the contest again inside the last quarter but Mornington would break clear, and while Yu-shan Hsieh took on the defence time and time again, the Gators failed to hold up on their defensive end, outscored by nine in the final term to lose 51 to 61.
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