Ellas Titans hit the reset button and take their first win of the season over Lightning

ELLAS Titans moved back into the winners’ circle with the return of key man Deba George helping the side to a 95-46 victory over Lightning in Round 5 of the Darwin Men’s League Championship

Deba George starred on his return to his Ellas Titans side. Picture: Keri Megelus

ELLAS Titans moved back into the winners’ circle with the return of key man Deba George helping the side to a 95-46 victory over Lightning in Round 5 of the Darwin Men’s League Championship.

The Titans were the form side through the Challenge season, only dropping a single game – to Razzle – before the season was called off.

However, fortunes turned against the side early in the Championship season, with the absence of some key personnel seeing the side lose its opening four games.

The match-up against Lightning was Ellas’ first to see the return of NBL1 Albury Bandits star guard George, playing in tandem with frequent league standouts Deola D’Brown, Willie Shackleford and Ben Streeter.

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“It’s always exciting to come up and play with Ellas, and it was good to get back into it with them (on Friday night),” George told the NT News.

“It was only my first night back, but I know what we’re capable of and, though it wasn’t our best basketball, there’s still room to improve.

“I’m going to be here for the remainder of the season now, and I’m looking forward to helping the side return to the good basketball we were playing last season.”

Shackleford was another who had a strong game for Ellas, putting aside the hurt of recent losses with younger players such as Cam and Lucas Duncan, Bayden Franey and Trent Abbott all stepping up.

D’Brown was pleased to finally get an opening win for the season, and felt it came about as a result of his teammates coming together and resetting their collective mentality.

“It’s good to get back to winning ways. We all got together and decided to kick ourselves back into gear and play the basketball we know how to play,” D’Brown said.

“We started the season a little undermanned but having Deba back helped spark the side and inspired everyone to come out in full force.

“It was a whole squad effort out there tonight and now that we’ve got that win we have to make sure that we stay at that level in the tougher rounds to come.”

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In other Men’s League action, Eagles powered through to an 89-62 win over Uni Rebels, with imports Chris Elder (28 points) and Joseph Jackson (20 points) standing out for the victors.

In the Women’s League, Ansett (Sophie Palmer 18 points) scored its second win of the season with a tight 64-60 win over Essington (Ieasha Friel 16 points).