ECHUCA has started the Country Basketball League season with a strong win against Castlemaine.
Led by 29 points from Tyler Phillips, the Pirates claimed a nine-point win in the first of a seven-game shortened season, 96-87.
Pirates coach Leo Tenace said the result was a strong start for the season.
“It was a really good win,” Tenace said.
“We shot really well throughout the night and that led to a high scoring game.
“Castlemaine scored highly as well which showed us we have a bit of work to do on our defensive game, but we will work on that going forward.”
Echuca's shooting was near perfect, with the Pirates hitting 13 three's, including six from Philips as part of his tally.
“Castlemaine played a zone through most of the game,” Tenace said.
“It meant Tyler was rotating outside the arc quite a bit and was hitting his shots well, so we encouraged him to keep shooting, and that played a key part in getting the victory.”
Phillips was far from a lone hand for the Pirates, with Liam Tenace dropping 25, Staci Richardson with 16 and Dylan Payne with 11.
The Pirates return to Echuca this weekend, taking on the Bacchus Marsh Lions at Echuca Stadium on Saturday night.
But Tenace said some fine-tuning needed to occur before then.
“We have a bit of work to do,” he said.
“We shot well and that was fantastic, but we have a bit of work to do on our defence. There are a few minor adjustments we can make to be a better side.”
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