By Tara Murray
It was a welcome return to form for the Sunbury Jets in Big V men’s division 1 on Saturday night.
The Jets had hit a low part in their season, with three consecutive losses, which had seen them slip to fourth.
Facing the ladder leaders the Western Port Steelers, the Jets were able to turn it around and looked more like the side that won 11 games in a row earlier in the season.
Jets assistant coach Darren Watkins said the side had returned to the way they wanted to play.
“We were desperate for a win considering we had three consecutive losses,” he said.
“One game we were unlucky… The other two were against opposition we should have beaten, as we had previously beaten them this season.
“Against Warrnambool and Bulleen the losses were partly as we drifted away from our trade marks.
“We were more focused on the results, than the process.”
On Saturday night, the Jets got off to a slow start and trailed by nine points at quarter time.
They worked their way back into the game and trailed by six points at the final break.
Watkins said they finally hit the lead in the dying minutes.
“We chipped away and with three minutes to go and hit the front and went point for point for almost two minutes.
“We were able to create enough chances to get the win.”
The Jets won 75-69.
Watkins said the way they won the game was the most pleasing thing.
“I would say the game was full of our values and behaviours,” he said.
“It was the style of play that we wanted to be playing.”
Arthur Trousdell top scored for the Jets with 25 points, with four of the five starters finishing in double figures.
The Jets remain fourth heading into the final round. They sit just win behind first place.
Watkins said they were hoping to continue that form into the final round and into finals.
They play Melbourne University Black Angels.
“We’re happy to use this performance as a bench mark for the rest of the season,” he said.
“As long as we do as we did last [Saturday] night, we should win.”
The ladder leading Sunbury Jets had no trouble accounting for the Bulleen Boomers in the Big V women’s state championships.
The Jets won three of the four quarters on the way to a 96-61 win, including scoring 39 points in the final quarter.
Orla O’Reilly top scored with 24 points. The Jets finish the regular season against McKinnon Cougars.
