HOBART MARCHES TO DOMINANT WIN
THE uncompromising Hobart Chargers will enter their match with Knox in Hobart on Saturday night looking for a remarkable 11th straight victory after making it 10 from their past 10 with a dominant win over Diamond Valley in Kingston on Friday night.
After a sluggish start to the season – in which they lost three of their first six games – the Chargers have taken all before them over the past two months to catapult themselves to the top of the NBL1 South ladder and claim championship favouritism.
While the Chargers won both of last weekend’s road games against Nunawading and Frankston in scrappy, come-from-behind fashion, they were back to their ruthless best against the mid-tier Diamond Valley Eagles on Friday night.
The Chargers led from start to finish in a clinical performance to register a 100-71 victory to make it 10 in a row and mark exactly two months since their last defeat against Ringwood on May 15.
Hobart were red-hot from the opening tip with Harry Froling (eight points, four rebounds) continuing his dominant form, while young forward Jacob Richards supplied a burst of energy off the bench with seven quick points to give the home side a 30-19 lead at the first break.
Froling and the Chargers continued to prove too much for the Eagles to handle in the second term, with the skilful and emotional big man registering a double-double (15 points, 11 rebounds) by halftime to give his side a matchwinning 56-38 lead at the main break.
With the game well out of reach for the visitors, the Chargers kicked into cruise control in the second half to outscore the Eagles 44-33 to register a comfortable 29-point win and cap off a remarkable 10-game stretch.
Froling ended Friday night with 29 points and 15 rebounds to prove once again to be one of the most dominant big men in the NBL1.
Four other Chargers scored in double figures with Richards (16 points, four rebounds), Jamar Sandifer (12 points), Jared Bairstow (11 points, 11 rebounds), and Ole Angerstein (10 points) all playing key roles in the win.
Making their 10-game winning streak even more impressive is the fact the Chargers have done it without key personnel and a host of forced line-up changes, and with JackJumper Sam McDaniel still to return to the side it poses an intimidating thought for their rivals.
The Chargers will look to keep the streak alive on Saturday night against Knox as they play host at their old stomping ground at the Southern Tasmania Netball Centre in New Town. The game will tip off at 7pm following their resurgent women’s side who start at 5pm.