The Lithgow Workies Lazers have secured a tough victory over Orange Eagles in the latest round of the Spalding Waratah League Division One Men's Competition played at the Lazerdome. They won a very scrappy match 85-78.
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Lithgow went in as favourites against an Orange outfit playing their first season at this level for some thirty years and also coming off three straight losses.
The Eagles played a spoiling physical game that threw the Lazers' rhythm off but Lithgow's starting five of Michael Johnson, Drelan Tripplett, Michael Cox, Adam Marjoram and Kobe Hunter were able to take a 26-22 lead into the first break.
The teams went basket-for-basket in the second period and the lead changed hands six times. Orange tied it up at 39-apiece with a minute and a half left but Tripplett hit a three-pointer late to give the locals a shaky 42-39 edge at the half.
Orange hit the lead again early in the third but the Lazers appeared to have steadied the ship and took the largest lead of the match at 62-54 with two minutes remaining. The visitors wouldn't go away however, and again cut the deficit to just three to trail the Lazers 64-61 going into the last quarter.
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The Eagles started the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run which gave them their biggest margin of the match at 69-64. The Lazers' aim improved, and they tied it up at 72-all with four minutes left and did enough in the dying stages to escape with the win, 85-78.
Lithgow's bench players Hayden Cox, Caleb Fitzpatrick and Mitchell Brain held their own against the fired-up Eagles while Austyn Lincoln had his best game of the season.
Orange were best served by Kobe Mansell with 20 points, ex-NBL player Mitch Selwood on 19 and Ben Gundry on 17.
This weekend the Lazers head to the Nation's Capital to take on the young Canberra Gunners Academy side.
Results: Lithgow Lazers 85 (M Johnson 26, M Cox 24, D Tripplett 22, A Marjoram 7, A Lincoln 6) def Orange Eagles 78.
Pool A Standings: Sutherland 4 wins, 0 losses, Shoalhaven 4-1, Lithgow 3-1, Illawarra 3-1, Queanbeyan 3-2, Canberra 2-2, Bankstown 2-3, Wagga 1-4, Orange 1-4, Dubbo 0-5.
