JOSH ZIMMERMAN Bunbury Herald

April 29, 2014, 9:50 am

 

The Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers ended a five-game losing streak with a convincing 106-92 victory over the Goldfields Giants in Kalgoorlie on Saturday.

 

The Slammers got off to a fast start and increased their lead during every quarter as Americans Ty Harrelson (38 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists) and Clive Weeden (28 points, 10 rebounds) asserted their dominance on the game.

 

Harrelson was particularly dangerous from beyond the arc, nailing eight of 12 three pointers in an impressive display of long range shooting.

 

Guard Paddy Phillips was also instrumental to the win, contributing 10 assists off the bench, as was import Todd Hendley who added 11 points and 10 rebounds.

 

The win came just two days after a lack of defensive discipline cost the Slammers against Rockingham, whose 31 points from the stripe proved the difference in a 94 – 83 defeat at the Eaton Recreation Centre on Thursday.

 

Personal fouls and free throws were the only statistical category separating the sides, with the Slammers leading the foul count 29 to 20 resulting in 36 trips to the line for Rockingham compared to just 23 for the South West.

 

Relishing a return to the Eaton Recreation Centre after four weeks on the road, the Slammers started the stronger of the two sides with Clive Weeden (22 points, 11 rebounds) and Ty Harrelson (21 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds) particularly effective in the opening exchanges.

 

But with the Flames on the mat and the Slammers holding a double-digit lead halfway through the second quarter, Rockingham import Cooper Land (26 points, 12 rebounds) found his range from beyond the arc, hitting two triples in the space of a minute to swing momentum in the visitors’ favour.

 

The Slammers took a 46 – 43 lead into the long break but the slim advantage was relinquished for good just minutes into the third quarter.

 

In an attempt to arrest the slide and halt the suddenly hot Land and Thomas Remmerswaal (24 points) the foul count against the Slammers began to rise and with the visitors converting at 86 per cent Rockingham was able to close out the game from the stripe.