Fourth-quarter specialists is a tag that is fast becoming attached to the Keilor Big V men’s basketball players.
The Thunder players have saved their best work for when it has mattered most throughout the first third of the division 1 season under first-year head coach Pete Godfrey.
Keilor has lost just one final term, twice restricting the opposition to single-figure points in the same stanza.
In total, Keilor has out-scored its opponents by a total of 35 points in final periods across the first six games of the season.
Arguably the most impressive win came earlier this month when the Thunder defeated last year’s champion, Melton, in a huge come-from-behind victory.
“I’m very much a defence-oriented coach,” Godfrey said. “The fact that we can lock teams down quarter by quarter is a really important part of our overall approach to the game. Against Melton, in particular, our last quarter at both ends was outstanding. We had managed to dig ourselves a bit of a hole and to fight out of it was great.”
The ability to finish strongly has Keilor looming as one of the surprise packets of the men’s Big V basketball division 1 season.
After missing the finals last year, the Thunder hold a 3-3 record and are one of a host of teams in the mix for a post-season berth.
The key for the Thunder in climbing even further up the ladder is recreating their fourth-quarter pressure from the opening tip-off.
Godfrey is fully intent on having as many contributors as possible.
He points to the exploits of Mitch Lukey and Matt Spencer as two Keilor locals who have been firing with intensity.
And for Godfrey, it’s all about intensity.
“It is just being mentally and physically ready to go,” he said. “These leagues are really competitive.
“The division 1 competition is looking as competitive as it has ever been.
“Top to bottom, any team can win on any night.
“That means it is about being focused, being mentally and physically prepared from the first tip.”
That evenness was highlighted at the weekend with Keilor suffering a tough 94-71 loss to Blackburn.
In one of the few changes to last year’s squad, centre Matt Wilson joined the Thunder from New Zealand on the eve of the season.
Keilor will take on Chelsea this week.
