Raiders make short work of Tassie teams

By Russell Bennett
THE Knox Raiders men made light work of their trip to Tasmania over the weekend, notching up two convincing wins over Hobart and North West Tasmania to push clear in second spot on the East Conference ladder.
With the victories, the Raiders have extended their current winning streak to five as the finals draw near.
Their Apple Isle sojourn saw them dominate the Hobart Chargers on Friday night, winning all four quarters on their way to a 105-64 thumping.
The Raiders’ stellar defensive efforts led to a number of easy buckets on the offensive end, as the scoring load was evenly shared. Alex Vanrenen scored a career-high 26 points on a stunning 68 per cent from the field.
Sean Carroll also got busy on offence, scoring 17 points and racking up four rebounds.
The league’s second and third leading scorers, CJ Massingale and Lester Strong, took a backseat in limited minutes but still chipped in with 13 and 16 points. The Raiders also faced off against the North West Tasmania Thunder on Saturday night.
Despite the Thunder’s good start, the Raiders turned to their defensive pressure to help secure the lead and consolidate it for the remainder of the contest.
The Raiders allowed the Thunder to score just 40 points for the next three quarters, a great result for a team that must continue its defensive improvement should it wish to challenge for a Championship.
The Raiders will face the 2010 SEABL Champion Geelong Supercats on Friday night at Knox Basketball Stadium.
The special school holidays double-header will start with a women’s showdown at 6pm, followed by the men at 8pm.