Big V Division 1 Men: Melbourne University too good for Warrnambool
Melbourne University broke through for its first Big V Basketball win in almost 1000 days overcoming the absence of the new coach and other factors. Here’s how it happened.
Local Sport
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Melbourne University’s almost 1000-day winless streak is finally over.
The Black Angels broke through for their first Big V win in 965 days after overcoming Warrnambool by 24 points on Saturday night.
They had undergone a massive off-season of change after finishing 2021 without a Division 1 win to their name in 16 attempts.
But even the lead up to the game was a rollercoaster of its own with new men’s coach Shawn Long unavailable due to illness.
With no live feed of the game, he sat patiently waiting for the result.
“It’s a great start, but that’s all I can tell you,” he laughed when contacted about the game.
Experienced assistant Tim Bamford stepped up in his place to lead the team to the drought breaking victory.
“It was easy to step in when we’ve got such a talented and mature group,” he said.
“I’ve coached before and the team certainly made things very easy for me. They went about their work and were able to get the job done.
“It’s important to get an early win because Division 1 is always pretty even.
“Hopefully we can keep building from here.”
The “outstanding” Joe Furphy led the way for the Black Angels with 24 points on 10-14 shooting while he also finished with 11 rebounds.
Furphy was also a strong presence on the defensive end with a block and steal.
“He was fantastic as he always is,” Bamford said.
“We’re always able to rely on him to put in a strong performance.”
Stefan Pomasan was Melbourne University’s best threat from deep shooting 3-5 as Joel Rimes hit his side’s only other three-pointer.
“Stefan shot the ball really well and gave us a nice boost when we needed it,” Bamford said.
Melbourne University will host Coburg in round 2 on Saturday night from 8.30pm.
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