Crucial points from James Toohey in the dying minutes against Ellas Titans keep Ansett’s top two hopes alive in Darwin Basketball

ANSETT kept their top two hopes alive with a tight 86-81 win over an Ellas Titans outfit which brought plenty of firepower in Round 17 of the Darwin Basketball Championship.

James Toohey stood out in the final quarter to help seal the game for Ansett over Ellas Titans. Picture GLENN CAMPBELL

ANSETT kept their top two hopes alive with a tight 86-81 win over an Ellas Titans outfit which brought plenty of firepower in Round 17 of the Darwin Basketball Championship.

Ellas started the better of the two sides, coming out with intensity in trying to push its way into the top four with Deba George (30 points) and Willie Shackleford (25 points) racking up the points.

Ansett lacked that aggression early on, letting points slip through their fingers as their early defence was exposed.

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But come the second quarter they found their footing with Joel De Barros (22 points) standing out in scoring, while Matty Hunt (17 points) and Shane Breheny (eight points) added stability.

Ansett gradually clawed their way into the front by only two points heading into the final quarter with Titans still in the game.

However, some crucial three-pointers from James Toohey (13 points) and final free throws from Fred Williams (eight points) helped secure the game in the dying minutes.

“We definitely bounced back from last week where we didn’t play the full 40 minutes but that improved against Ellas,” Toohey told the NT News.

“We moved the ball a lot better and everyone got involved. Finals are coming up soon so we’re aiming to peak at the right time while still taking every game as it comes.

“Everyone showed the will to win against Ellas and it showed that everyone pushed hard, got around each other and stayed positive which has been the biggest thing for us this season.

“The standard of competition has been high across the top five teams but we really needed the win here to stay in the race for a spot in the top two heading into finals.”

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Meanwhile, Tracy Village Jets (Thomas Malseed 31 points) maintained their position atop the table with a massive 139-56 win over Uni Rebels (Reb Bautista 26 points).

On the women’s side of the draw, Lightning (April Rummery Lamb 20 points) managed the narrowest of wins with a 66-65 triumph over Essington Cannons (Ieasha Friel 18 points).