Sixers power home

A late three-point shooting barrage has helped the Adelaide 36ers avoid another disastrous loss and notch a much-needed 103-88 victory over the South Dragons at the Distinctive Homes Dome tonight.

Staring at a huge 17-point half-time deficit, the Dragons, led by new player/coach Shane Heal (16 points), American Kavossy Franklin (19 points) and rookie forward Joe Ingles (18 and eight rebounds), hauled themselves back to within three points midway through the last period.

Just when it looked like the Sixers would succumb to an embarrassing fifth home defeat of the season, Brad Hill and Willie Farley stepped up from outside, nailing a pair of long-range baskets each to wrestle away the momentum and give Adelaide the breathing space it required.

Star imports Farley (24 points) and the consistent Nick Horvath (26 points at 92% and 13 boards) were again the keys behind the triumph, but they received excellent contributions from veteran guard Lanard Copeland -prior to his third-quarter ejection for a second technical foul- and a host of unheralded Sixers, including Hill and David Cooper.

Their performances more than made up for the absence of captain Brett Maher and centre Brett Wheeler, as Adelaide’s team rebounding and ability to hit the crucial shots at the right moment saw them record their third win from nine matches this year.

After a tumultuous week in which they sacked their high profile coach and lead import, the Dragons appeared rudderless early, particularly on offence, and struggled to just 38 first-half points on 33% shooting from the field.

They were also murdered on the boards (38-20) by the energized Sixers, who shut down their scoring options and worked the ball inside to Horvath (16 points to half-time) with great success.

However, the Dragons changed the game dramatically in the third period by outhustling their hosts on defence and improving their movement without the ball. With Heal taking control from the point, and native South Australians Ingles and Jacob Holmes increasing their offensive activity, the visitors narrowed the gap to eight points at the final break.

Their swarming defence continued to cause problems for the flustered Sixers well into the last quarter, causing a series of poor turnovers that enabled the Dragons to pull within 69-66 with six minutes remaining.

But they would get no closer, as young guard Brad Hill knocked down a big three-pointer to steady the Sixer ship. He was followed soon after by Farley, who re-asserted himself with a decisive pair of long bombs that ensured the bottom-placed Dragons would have to wait at least a few more days for their inaugural Philips Championship victory.

•  Have a view on this story? Send us your feedback!