The Maitland Mustangs return home on Saturday night after extending their unbeaten run to seven after defeating Albury Wodonga Bandits 113-89 in their most comprehensive team effort in the NBL 1 East season to date.
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Maitland host the seventh placed Hills Hornets from 7pm, while the women, who were beaten 99-65 by the unbeaten Bandits, play Hills from 5pm.
The Mustangs men quietened the vocal Bandits' home crowd with a 28-18 first-quarter blitz and never let the pressure off winning all four quarters.
Will Cranston-Lown continued his outstanding form shooting an equal game-high 29 with Albury's William Hickey.
But the Mustangs had too many other avenues to goal for the Bandits with Billy Parsons scoring 21, Christian Little 17, James Hunter 13, Matt Gray 9, Luka Vea 9, Daniel Millburn 7, Jay Cole 5 and skipper Josh Clifford 3.
Maitland were also on top defensively winning the rebound count 44-33, including 27 at the defensive end.
James Hunter led the way with nine, but they had five other players with four or more rebounds.
The Mustangs winning run is all the more impressive as it includes victories over second-placed Inner West Bulls and third placed Canberra Gunners and the Bandits who were top three until their defeat by Maitland.
Looking ahead Maitland host Penrith Panthers on Saturday, May 18, before facing the Bulls at Auburn Basketball Centre on Sunday, May 19.
Maitland aims to bounce back
The Mustangs women will look to bounce back from their 34-point loss to Albury Wodonga in a middle-table showdown at home against the Hills Hornets on Saturday.
Both teams have a three win and four loss record, with the Mustangs eighth and Hornets ninth.
The top five have a two-win break on the chasing pack of six teams with three wins and it shapes as a critical game for Maitland to stay in touch with the top echelons on the competition.
Opals legend Lauren Jackson was incredible for the Bandits on Saturday, scoring 43 points and pulling in 22 rebounds in a dominant performance.
For Maitland, Shakera Reilly scored 23 points and made five rebounds, Sydney Hunter scored 16 and had a game-high five steals, Natsumi Kohama shot 14, while Rachel Williams was strong again defensively collecting seven rebounds.
Youth teams win
Maitland face Hills Hornets in a top of the table clash in the Waratah Youth Men's 1 competition on Saturday.
Maitland are second with six wins from seven games while Hills are top with seven wins from eight games.
The Mustangs defeated Camden Valley Wildfire 96-74 on Saturday, May 4. Will Mortimore shot 25 points, Ben Matthews 17, James Beavis 16, Isaac Testoni 14 and Charlie Caffery 12.
It will be a hotly contested game in the Waratah Youth Women's 1 as well with Maitland fifth and Hills fourth both with five win and three loss records.
Maitland defeated Hornsby Ku Ring Gai Spiders 87-43 at Maitland Federation Centre on Sunday.
Ella Bendeich led the scoring for Maitland with 21 points, Kate Love shot 15, Summer Faleafa 14 and Abbey McGregor 11.
Michael Hartshorn
Since starting in 1985 at the then Melbourne Herald, journalism has taken me around Australia from Victoria, to the Northern Territory, Cairns in Queensland and now Port Stephens. After all those years there is still something special about informing and connecting with readers.
Since starting in 1985 at the then Melbourne Herald, journalism has taken me around Australia from Victoria, to the Northern Territory, Cairns in Queensland and now Port Stephens. After all those years there is still something special about informing and connecting with readers.
