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Time ripe to turn the tables on Tigers

Goldfields Giants coach Michael Haney has challenged his players to back up the squad’s State Basketball League improvement in the past month with a dynamic display against a highly touted Willetton Tigers at home tonight. Picture: Mary Meagher

Goldfields Giants coach Michael Haney has challenged his players to back up the squad’s State Basketball League improvement in the past month with a dynamic display against a highly touted Willetton Tigers at home tonight.

The Giants had a four-game winning sequence broken by Perry Lakes last Sunday and are under considerable pressure to return to the winners’ list against a fourth-placed opposition boasting nine wins.

The magnitude of the task is not lost on Haney, but he expects the game to be played under vastly different circumstances to round 1 against Willetton when the Giants were dealt a 114-76 loss.

“To be honest, we probably don’t match up that well against them (Willetton), who have some of the best guards in the competition,” he said.

“In our loss last weekend, a big part of that was the influence of their (Perry Lakes’) import guards and we really need to make some adjustments there and learn from what we did wrong.

“If the boys can put into practice what we've worked on this week and stick to the game plan, then of course we’re a chance.”

In terms of confidence and morale, Haney said there was no comparison to the Giants squad which buckled against the Tigers earlier in the season.

“That loss was 10 weeks ago and you’re really talking about two different teams,” he said.

“Even when we were struggling to win a game, our guys were probably the most positive 0-8 team in the history of sports.

“They remained a hard-working team, but to get four wins in a row saw the boys’ confidence just grow — the boys have tasted success and they like what it tastes like.”

But given the poor start, Haney said the squad had to be on its mettle in every game.

“You have the top two or three teams but outside those, it’s a hard battle to make the top eight,” he said.

“We’re only a game out (of the eight), which is why it’s so important we beat the teams around, or just above, us.”