Torrey’s torrid time halts Rollers’ plan
Kohli’s class crushes rivals
terry.wilson@news.com.au FOUL trouble for star US import Torrey Craig has been offset by the emergence of fresh talent for the Rollers.
Anxious for a big effort at the weekend in their first home game of the Queensland Basketball League season, Gold Coast fell 97-83 to a quality University of Sunshine Coast.
It certainly did not help to have Craig benched for almost the entire fourth quarter after he racked up four personal fouls and was taken from the court by coach Pero Cameron.
And in the third term Craig was blanketed by a number of USC players who starved him of possession.
“USC were flat-out too good,” Gold Coast Basketball boss Joel McInnes said.
“They blew us away in the third quarter and even though Torrey was strong in the first half he didn’t see the ball in the second and he sat out most of the last quarter.”
The Rollers were down by 44-39 at the big break but trailed 75-56 at the last change.
To their credit, after Cameron threw on four younger players, the Rollers outscored the visitors in the final term.
“Pero ended up putting the young boys on in the last quarter – Tobias Cameron, Flynn Cameron, Jalen Patton-Croker and Levi Frankland – and they did well,” McInnes said.
“The game was already done and Pero played some of the young blokes.”
The Rollers women have still not won a game this season but they were courageous in a 69-60 loss to USC.
“The girls did show plenty,” McInnes said. “They gave it a good shake and went down only in the last few minutes.”
The Rollers are now on the first of their difficult away trips playing Gladstone Power at Kev Broome Stadium on Saturday night.
The women start at 6pm and the men tip-off at 8pm. CRICKET INDIA captain Virat Kohli smashed an unbeaten 81 to spur his side to a crushing 124-run victory over Pakistan in a rain-shortened Champions Trophy Group B clash at Edgbaston.
Kohli’s master-class from 68 balls helped India post 3-319 in their 48 overs, after their innings had desperately needed a spark.
Pakistan never got going in reply, all out for 164 chasing a revised Duckworth/Lewis total of 289 in 41 overs.
The win moves India to the top of the pool ahead of South Africa.