Gators return to the swamp for a big weekend of basketball

It has been a bright start to the season for the Shepparton side, with the Gators sitting in third place on the table, with four wins and two losses.

Both losses have been slim, and coach Josh Waight said he was looking forward to getting back in front of the home crowd on Saturday night.

“We know it will be a great test this weekend against RMIT,” Waight said.

“We played them at the tournament we went to in the pre-season and they happened to beat us there so we’re really excited, hopefully we can turn the tables, beat them on our home court and keep our home court streak alive.”

Waight said the side would be motivated to get back on the winner’s list after last week’s loss, with the Gators aiming to prove they could challenge the top teams.

“Playing in front of a home crowd is always a motivator and making sure we put on our best show in front of our home supporters,” he said.

It will be a quick turnaround for the Shepparton side, with a trip to Coburg on Sunday afternoon another challenge for the squad to overcome.

“We just need to make sure we come ready to play right from the start and don’t give them a sniff and don’t allow them to get in the game and get their confidence going,” he said.

“Yes they haven’t won a game yet but if you give these teams a little bit of a sniff and a look in, it can make life very tough on yourself, so we want to make sure that we really stamp our authority on the game early.”

Gators stars Garrett Jefferson and Dylan Wilkie will be two players looking to perform well on the weekend, however Waight said it would be a team effort to get over the line.

“We think that’s one of our strengths, whoever’s night it is we’ll find a way to get them the shots and hopefully we can get the win,” he said.

The Gators welcome RMIT to the Swamp on Saturday night at 7pm, while tip-off for Sunday’s away game in Coburg is at 3pm.