The Adelaide 36ers last night had a solid debut outing from new import pairing Craig Winder and Troy DeVries as they edged Townsville 87-86. 

Troy DeVries, having played in the NBL previously with West Sydney, showed no signs of having to acclimatise to the game, hitting all three of his long-range attempts and grabbing seven rebounds to go with his 17 points. He also had five assists.

New face Craig Winder was quietly efficient in leading the team in scoring as he put up 19 points (7/10 FG, 2/3 3P, 3/4 FT) in just 22:54 on debut. Crucial to the result were his two blocks, one coming in a vital passage of play at the conclusion of the game as Adelaide fended off a final charge from the Crocs.

Adelaide-favourite Luke Schenscher paced Townsville with 19 points on 8/13 shooting.

It was almost one-way traffic in the first quarter as the 36ers pushed to a 29-17 lead at the first break, with a good spread of scorers from the home team.

Through the second and third quarters, Townsville outscored Adelaide 36-55, Michael Cedar (17 points) finding his shooting touch and Schenscher remaining a consistent target inside. Darren Ng and Brad Hill both managed the bulk of their scoring here, each reaching double figures coming off the bench.

Time outs from coach Marty Clarke got his charges back on track and the team fashioned a comeback victory with a 22-14 final term. Captain Adam Ballinger was quiet by his lofty standards, but had a superb block (one of three for the game) as Adelaide reeled in the visiting team.

At the end, a narrow win and good signs for over 2200, exceptionally noisy fans.

Adelaide and Townsville face off again tonight in Mount Barker at 7:30. The venue is the Adelaide Hills Recreation Centre and tickets are available at the door: adults $12, children $6, or $25 for a family of four (two adults, two children).

Adelaide 87, Townsville 86. Boxscore (PDF)