Turnovers prove costly for Grammar, falling to Gregory Terrace
SEAN TEUMA
BASKETBALL:
Toowoomba Grammar will have a fortnight to recover after suffering its first loss of the GPS basketball season.
Turnovers cruelled TGS in its round two encounter with St Joseph’s, Gregory Terrace at the weekend, as they were defeated 80-61 at the Glen McCracken Gynasium.
The team handed the ball over 34 times, with coach Kabe Cicolini admitting it hurt their chances to take it to the powerhouse school.
“Any time you turn the ball over 34 times in 40 minutes, it’s difficult to win games. We gifted it to them,” Cicolini said.
“They had elements of extended pressure of on-ball defenders, but we didn’t match that with any responsibility or accountability for pass-making or decision-making. It made it difficult for us to generate offence.”
Despite the result, Cicolini said there were positives to take out of the contest, with a bye this weekend followed by Ipswich Grammar School on
August 8.
“For us to turn over that much and only have a negative 19 margin, if we were on our game we would be right there and competing,” he said.
“Nick Nugent had a solid game off the bench. He really contributed with the off-ball and creating for our team.
“Peter Deng is another that came off the bench and was pretty solid. He put pressure on them from an offensive rebounding standpoint.
“Ideally we’d like to get back on court straight away, because this game was such an outlier for us.
“But with the chance to have eight practice opportunities before a big game like Ipswich, we’ll take full advantage of it.”
sean.teuma@thechronicle.com.au