Mixed results at home
Ararat Redbacks will enjoy a week’s break to regroup for matches against Millicent and Mt Gambier after recording mixed results at home at the weekend.
The Ararat men had a tough encounter with south-west conference ladder leader Mt Gambier at Ararat Fitness Centre on Saturday night.
The reigning premier proved too strong for the competition newcomer, triumphing 103-80 with just six players.
Dellon Brown finished with an impressive 45-point haul to propel the Lakers to victory but the Wimmera outfit was far from disgraced against its higher-ranked opponent.
Ararat’s Zac Dunmore consolidated his previous strong form, dropping 24 points as his side’s highest scorer.
Harrison Cronin chipped in 12, with eight other players contributing to the final score.
The Redbacks bounced back on Saturday to record a thrilling five-point victory over Portland.
Ararat had a narrow lead all game and was 11 points up at the final change before the Coasters put their foot down to try to claim their first win of the season.
Portland overtook the Redbacks with less than three minutes on the clock, but the home side refused to concede and dug deep to get over the line.
The win saw the Redbacks retain third spot on the conference ladder.
Ararat’s women’s side was competitive against Portland for most of the game, although the Coasters’ experience enabled the team to pull away in the third quarter to establish a healthy buffer.
The Coasters finished the match with 52 points to triumph by 24 points.
The Redbacks women will be back in action on November 25 when they take on Geelong Supercats in Geelong.