Knox Raiders’ CJ Massingale top scored for his team on Saturday night against Geelong with 28 points.A FINAL-quarter blitz by giant centre Cameron Koford and another good spread of points elevated the Knox Raiders to a gutsy 101-96 win on Saturday night against Eastern Conference leaders Geelong Supercats.
In a physical and at times spiteful game, the Raiders snared the win courtesy of a quality team performance, but it was the emergence down the stretch of Koford that iced the win.
The 215-centimetre import from Utah had been kept quiet up until the final stanza, when, like swatting flies, he successfully rejected Geelong’s drives to the basket time after time.
Earlier a sloppy start by Knox had led to the Supercats scratching out a nine-point advantage by quarter-time.
However, Raiders coach Damian Cotter verbally challenged his players to lift and they responded with 31-22 second period.
The second half proved to be a bruising affair, particularly under the baskets where not an inch of space was spared by any player and rebounds became prized possessions.
The lead swapped regularly before the Raiders gained the ascendancy late in the fourth term, riding a wave of excitement generated by a large crowd all the way to the final buzzer.
Four players contributed double-figure points, including CJ Massingale (28 points), Gerard Leonard (18), Craig Simpson (17) and Glenn Siegle (12), while Koford’s five blocks in the final quarter proved invaluable.
“It was another good team effort,” said Cotter.
“It wasn’t a pretty game, but Geelong got us in overtime a few weeks ago and there was definitely a bit of feeling going into tonight’s match.
“Our focus is on effectively doing the team things and, to a player, these guys are always mindful that the team comes first.
“We’re well positioned and I’d like to think we can really push on from here.”
Meanwhile, the Raiders women clinched two important wins on the weekend, firstly beating Ballarat 72-59 on Saturday night, before celebrating Chelsea Laing’s 300th SEABL game on Sunday with a narrow one-point win at Frankston.
Katrina Hibbert led the way for the Raiders against Ballarat with a game-high 24 points, and then produced another 27 points against Frankston, while Cara Angel (12 points) was the match winner against the Blues with some vital baskets down the stretch.
Both Raiders teams are at home this Saturday night to face rival Nunawading in a highly anticipated local derby.
The action at Knox Converse Stadium starts with the women at 6pm, followed by the men at 8pm. Entry is $5 for adults and $2 for children.
