IT went to overtime in the Myrtleford Saints’ CBL clash against Benalla Breakers at the Myrtleford Indoor Sports Centre on Sunday, with the Saints ultimately coming up short 81-86. From the outset, the Saints ran the court, doubling the Breakers’ score after the first quarter of play, before the experienced Benalla outfit worked their way back into the match, with the home side up 36-29 at the half. The Breakers turned it on in the third quarter, outscoring the Saints 31-14 to set up a titanic struggle in the fourth. When the dust settled and the siren sounded on the final quarter, it was a 76-76 deadlock, and the game went into overtime, with Benalla prevailing. Coach Sam Gebauer said his young side did well to challenge such a strong and experienced outfit. “I asked the boys to come out of the gates strong and we won the first quarter 20-10, and then Benalla’s experience and chemistry after playing together for years came through and they were able to claw themselves back into the game,” he said. “It was like Benalla used the first half to warm up, and then in the third quarter they really found their stride – they went 110 per cent for the entire quarter, and that showed on the scorecard. “Unfortunately, Tyler (Barker) had been fouled out by this point in time, and Jalen (Barker) had started cramping really bad so we dropped him in the fourth, he got his legs right and we put him back out for overtime, then he dropped again and we lost him for the game. “Losing Tyler then losing Jalen in that period hurt us a lot, but Marcus LaSpina stepped up massively and really took control of the game in the fourth quarter and overtime, and was ultimately the reason we were able to keep it so close for so long. “We had Big V players on Benalla missing easy shots because of how intense our defence was, but ultimately they hit a couple of lucky ones and got ahead of us in the end.” The Saints face another classy outfit this weekend, taking on the undefeated Albury Cougars in an away fixture. Gebauer said it was a good chance for his side to rebound and take the fight to a quality opposition. “We’re looking forward to it – we’ve got one or two guys away for that game, but ultimately I think Albury’s a very good match-up for us because they’re a team that suits our style of play and the way we attack the basket and run in transition,” he said. “I don’t think Albury are going to be able to slow that down for four quarters. “I think it’ll be a good and exciting match-up, much like Benalla, but ultimately I feel very confident - we have all the tools and all the manpower we need to come away from that game with the win.” The Saints take to the court at the Lauren Jackson Sports Centre from 2pm on Sunday.
