Gallery | ‘It was messy, but we got the win’: Shepparton Gators edge to seven-point victory over Western Port

In round 10 of the Big V championship, the newly promoted side welcomed last-placed Western Port to the Shepparton Sports Stadium on Saturday night, June 15.

Both teams took time to settle into the game, with a low-scoring first quarter.

After an early advantage to Western Port, the Gators stuck their snout in front.

Western Port hung in there, never letting Shepparton get too far out of reach though.

This set up a nail-biting final few minutes, but Shepparton eventually got across the line and were victorious 86-79.

Head coach Josh Waight said he was still looking for a full four-quarter performance from his side, but that there was a lot of positives to take from the win.

“It was messy at times, but we got the win,” Waight said.

“(There’s) definitely a lot of positives but also a lot to work on.

“I thought our ball movement was really good, and the players were unselfish which is great to see.”

On the scoring front, points were spread out across the squad.

Out of the seven players that played more than 15 minutes, six scored in the double digits with no-one above 20.

Also, every single player that played more than 20 minutes registered at least one steal, good for 16 as a team.

While Waight said it was an all-round effort, he highlighted the impact of vice-captain Sam Beks.

Beks entered the starting line-up after coming off the bench for most of the season.

He got cooking early, finishing off some nice team possessions or reading the defence perfectly to use his trusted mid-range jump-shot.

He made his first four shots on his way to an efficient 12 points in just 18 minutes, setting the tone for Shepparton.

Beks said when his name was called, he was ready.

“I know when I get my opportunity I’m going to thrive, whether it’s scoring, assisting teammates, being a positive energy guy, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win,” he said.

“I know it’s cliché, but I just want the Gators to be successful.

“To be above 500 (have a positive record) for the first time this season, after an ugly win, we’re happy.”

Beks said the team was building on its two pillars, defence and ball movement.

He said with the number of scorers on the roster, that ball movement was the key to unlocking the team’s full potential as an elite championship side.

“We’ve got to put full trust in each other and whoever’s night it is,” Beks said.

“We didn’t know what to expect early days, you could see that in our record, but three in a row now and a massive weekend coming up.”

Shepparton has a double-header this weekend, both games away-from-home, taking on top-of-the-ladder Wyndham on Saturday, June 22, and third-placed Bellarine on Sunday, June 23.

Shepparton now sits in sixth place, with seven wins and six losses.