The NWBL Cobra Men made a statement during Round 3 of the NWBL season, recording a pair of road wins over reigning champions and the previously undefeated Wollongong Rollerhawks. Cobras Head Coach Shane Furness broke down his team’s impressive weekend.

FROM THE COACH – SHANE FURNESS

The boys headed to Wollongong Friday in preparation for a three game weekend. Wollongong were undefeated coming in to this round and have put a decent spread on every team this season.

The guys worked hard Friday night but fell short, 81-59. Unable to attend Friday’s game, I took notes from the live stats and spoke to the boys upon arrival in to Hotel in Wollongong.

We put together a defensive strategy that was executed well by the guys as they reversed Friday night’s loss with a 25 point win (55-80). The guys played extremely well and although we started slowly from the field (shooting 25 percent from the field in the first quarter), were able to lift that to over 50 percent mid-way through the third quarter. Our defensive pressure was rewarded with a drop in Wollongong’s shooting percentage and we were able to secure a great win against last seasons champions.

Sunday’s game was a very hard fought affair with the short margin and constant lead changes throughout the game. We were able to get on top with a six point lead with 2 minutes left in the game and the guys closed out with composure and a lift in energy to win , 72-67.

All in all, was the best team effort for the season as we came home with a 2-1 Round 3 record against last year’s national champions and a team that was undefeated heading into the weekend. The boys are happy and I’m proud of the way we closed out the last two games – something we haven’t done terribly well previously.

The Cobras now sit second in the NWBL standings with a 7-3 record. With a months break upcoming, the Cobras next hit the hardwood on Friday June 15 at home, when they host Sydney in the first of three weekend games on Hugh McMenamin Court.