Slammers flamed away: South West team adds to loss tally

The South West Slammers recorded their tenth loss in 12 games on Saturday night at the hands of the surging Rockingham Flames.

The struggling Slammers came into the match off the back of a hard fought win over the still winless Mandurah Magic – the only team the Slammers have beaten this season.

However the Rockingham Flames have hard earned their second place on the ladder, and proved to be a much stronger opponent in round 10.

The tone was set early by Flames forward Jeremy Combs, who grabbed a loose ball from Slammers guard Buay Tuach and went coast to coast with a big two handed dunk just a minute into the game.

The Slammers did hold the lead briefly, after some impressive ball movement set Manyiel Wugol up for an open three pointer to level scores, before Tuach hit a layup through traffic to put them ahead. It lasted all of 19 seconds as Marshal Nelson his a wide open three of his own.

The Flames took it out to a 9 point lead at the end of the first quarter, and continued that momentum into the second, dropping 37 points to extend that lead to 30 points at the half.

It wasn’t for lack of trying by the Slammers. They had a better percentage from three point range in that second term, but Rockingham’s volume proved overwhelming, taking 24 shots – at 50 per cent – to the Slammers’ 13 at 46 per cent.

Shane Goff lit a fire under his men at half time, and the Slammers came out swinging. Ben Stevens led the charge with eight points and five defensive rebounds, as his team outscored Rockingham for the quarter.

However, it was a small victory, reducing the Flames’ lead by just a single point, giving the visitors a deficit of 29 to chase down in the final term.

That would prove to be a tough ask, as the Slammers scored just once from the field – a three pointer from Tuach – while the Flames went on a rampage, piling on a further 30 points to hand the Slammers their tenth loss of the, 117 to 62.

The women didn’t fare much better either. Yet to win a game this season, they went down by 65 points to the fifth placed Flames.

Bree Chalk was the highlight for the South West women, scoring 13 points, while Alexis Donovan put in a strong performance off the bench, dropping 10 points as well as picking up five rebounds and three assists.

It was the eighth win in a row for Rockingham, while it continues the Slammers’ losing streak of 23 in a row, and 64 of the last 65.

The Slammers now prepare to host the Goldfield Giants, who have had a similarly tough season so far.