Strong performance: Mitchell Markby put up 16 points for the Pirates at the weekend in another solid showing. Photos: Aidan Briggs
Photo by
Aidan Briggs
Echuca Pirates’ season has come to an end, with the side suffering a heavy defeat in its final regular season game against Bacchus Marsh on Saturday night at Echuca Basketball Stadium.
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The Pirates started the clash in promising fashion, keeping in touch with the higher ranked Lions during the first quarter to enter the quarter-time break just one point in arrears, trailing 22-23.
The second term saw Bacchus Marsh pull away, however, piling on 31 points while restricting Echuca to just 18, establishing a 14-point lead at the half-time break.
Fourteen points seemed a manageable gap for the Pirates. However a positive start to the second half was required if they were to remain in the contest.
Unfortunately for the home side, Bacchus Marsh poured on the pain, shooting 36 points for the term, the most in a single quarter for the whole game, to stretch the advantage to 25 points with just one period of play remaining.
Positive finish: Staci Richardson top-scored for Echuca in the final game of the season, continuing his good form towards the end of the campaign.
Photo by
Aidan Briggs
A 30-17 final term again enhanced the already sizeable lead the Lions enjoyed, as the visitors ran out 120-82 winners over the Pirates.
Staci Richardson continued his recent string of good performances, posting a team-high 21 points for the Pirates, while Mitchell Markby and Lachlan Tenace were the other Echuca players in double figures, shooting 16 and 12 points respectively.
Bacchus Marsh’s Deng Kuol was the leading scorer for the game, putting up 41 points to lead his side, while Zak Martinez was also handy, contributing 18 for the visitors.
Echuca’s season is now over, with the loss confirming the Pirates’ ninth position on the ladder at the end of the home-and-away season, with the top-four sides set to compete in the semi-finals on Saturday.
First-placed Mildura will play fourth-placed Melton, while Castlemaine, which finished second, will play against third-place finishers Bendigo.
