BOXSCORE
The Melbourne Tigers ended a six-game losing streak and recorded their first win of 2012, beating a struggling Adelaide 36ers 87-81 at The Cage on Friday night.
Cam Tragardh (20 points) and Liam Rush (18) led the scoring for a Melbourne team that took until the second half to play their best basketball.
The Tigers missed a half-court alley-oop three seconds into the game to highlight their recent struggles, Adelaide and their animated bench capitalising by jumping to a 10-0 lead.
Marty Clarke was pleased with the start but recognised his team’s desperation for wins.
“The way they came out, united as a team and playing hard, it was a credit to them. But you don’t get credit in the win-loss column, and that’s what we need right now. We need a win.
“It wasn’t a clean game, the ball being raked out of hands and I think it was because there was a lot of desire out there.”
Bearded import Chris Warren led the way for the 36ers with 18 first-half points on his way to a superb 31-point, 4-assist, 3-steal outing.
Fellow import Diamon Simpson (17 points, 9 rebounds), centre Daniel Johnson (13 and 11) and Stephen Weigh (12 points) provided the best support.
Scoring dwindled after the 36ers' quick start, Adelaide turning to a zone and the Tigers using their full-court press to get easy baskets.
Myron Allen (12 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds) did his best to involve his teammates after picking up a couple early fouls, but the Tigers’ lack of movement against the zone trapped them on the perimeter and starved Tragardh of opportunities.
The Tigers upped their energy in the third with Adelaide switching back to man-to-man and Ron Dorsey (12 points) finding lanes to the basket.
The Tigers took their first lead with two minutes to go in the period, feeding efficiently off Matt Burston (8 points) in the middle pick-and-roll.
The 36ers shrugged off the awakened Cage crowd to level the scores at 61-61 at the final break thanks to a Weigh triple.
But it was Melbourne's crafty new point guard Allen, 12 fourth-quarter Tragardh points and a coast-to-coast Daniel Dillon basket that brought relief to the Tigers’ faithful.
Daniel Dillon, who stole the momentum late in the fourth with a huge run-down steal and assist, credited Tigers’ captain Tommy Greer for his leadership on defence.
“Tommy did a great job of leading us on defence, and when he plays like that it ripples down to the rest of the guys in the backcourt, everyone getting in the lanes.”
Jubilant Tigers coach Trevor Gleeson heralded his team for finding old form.
“We haven’t played that way in six weeks, just the intensity and the intent and the teamwork. We haven’t had that effort in a long time.
“That’s the first time we’ve won the rebound count in two months, there’s some good signs there, but now it’s up to us to do it consistently.”
Melbourne Tigers 87 (Tragardh 20, Rush 18, Allen 12)
Adelaide 36ers 81 (Warren 31, Simpson 17, Johnson 11)
Crowd: 2126 at State Netball and Hockey Centre, Melbourne
