Speed key in big clash

THE Townsville Heat believe they can run the Mackay Meteors off their feet tonight when the QBL powerhouses face off for the second game in a row in Mackay.

The Heat finished stronger than the Meteors to claim a 99-911 victory in Townsville last weekend, trailing by as much as 11 points in the third quarter before dominating the final term 36-20.

Coach Rodney Anderson said there was a noticeable shift in momentum down the stretch as the Meteors started to tire and he hoped to employ that same fast-paced style on Mackay’s home floor.

“We told Matt Rees (Heat forward) to try and run up and down as quick as he could and try and run Bryce Washington (Meteors import) off his feet and I think that worked a little bit,” Anderson said.

“We’ve been trying to play up tempo all year and they’ve been trying to do it as well so maybe just getting that back at them might have slowed them down a little bit.

“Brent Gorris (conditioning coach) has all the guys in great shape so we’re happy to keep playing that fast speed and play it for 40 minutes. We’ll make sure we go back to that again.”

The Heat might have escaped with the win on their home floor, but Anderson felt they were still poor defensively in transition, which was something he planned to address.

“We have to make sure we get bodies back behind the ball and show them a lot of people so they can’t just rise up and shoot an early three or get to the basket,” he said.

“I think Chris Cedar (Meteors point guard) was really good in transition last week and scored pretty easily without even people defending him until you got to the keyway pretty much.

“We’ve got to put a body on him early. He’s such a great player, he’s going to get some easy points, but we have to make life a lot harder for him.

“We’ve definitely put in some hard work this week on the training floor and we’ll be better and a little bit different when we get to Mackay.”

Another win over the fourth-placed Meteors (10-4) tonight would boost Townsville’s (3rd, 9-2) hopes of a toptwo finish and Anderson said they were determined not to let it slip away.

“The next four games we’ve got are on the road so if you can get some wins on the road they’re like gold, especially towards the end of the season,” he said.

WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE GET BODIES BACK BEHIND THE BALL ... SO THEY CAN’T JUST RISE UP AND SHOOT AN EARLY THREE RODNEY ANDERSON