Posted on 18 July, 2017

With their season on the line, the Cobra Men came up big on Saturday night as they recorded an impressive 88-75 home win over the Frankston Blues.

Going ahead 6-4  early in the first quarter, the Cobras would never look back, taking the lead for good as they recorded their ninth win of the season to keep their playoff hopes alive. It was an exceptional all-around performance by the Cobras, with all five starters scoring in double-figures while David Schaffert, Kieran Murphy and Desmond Owili came up big off the bench.

Cobras Head Coach Justin Schueller was pleased with the Cobras wire-to-wire performance, which saw them keep in touch with Sandringham and Albury-Wodonga for the East Conference’s fourth and final playoff position.

“It was a four quarter effort for us; everyone stood up and was counted for,” Schueller said.

“Our starting unit really led from the front and our bench came on and kept things moving forward. I’m really happy with the total team effort.”

Auryn Macmillan led a balanced scoring spread by the starters, recording 17 points and eight rebounds, while fellow big man Chris Patton added 16 point and six rebounds. Ben Ursich and Tariq Naqqash each finished with 13 points and four assists, Owen Odigie chipped in with 10 points and his usual swarming defence, while Schaffert, Murphy and Owili combined for 19 points off the bench.

With their record now standing at 9-12, the Cobras are a half game behind Sandringham and Albury-Wodonga for fourth in the East, but could potentially leapfrog both teams in the standings this weekend. With just three games remaining and almost no room for error, Schueller is confident his team can fend off the Sabres and Bandits for a playoff berth.

“Playoffs are in our sights, and we are just focused on controlling what we can control,” Schueller said.

“I really believe in this group; we have been dealt a lot this year but we keep moving forward and games like that against Frankston show how resilient and determined we are. We are locked into playing the right way and as a team, and we know we will get this done by playing for each other”

The Cobras focus shifts to this Saturday night as they take on the Melbourne Tigers at home for our annual Retro Night, with tip-off scheduled for 8.00pm.

“Our sights are now on Melbourne and building on this performance,” Schueller added.

Retro Night will see our SEABL Men and Women rocking throwback 90’s Cobras uniforms as we celebrate the past in what promises to be our most entertaining night of the year. All fans are encouraged to don their best ”Retro’ outfit, with some great prizes up for grabs for those best dressed on the evening. Children 12 and under who dress retro will receive FREE ENTRY for both games, and we’ll also be selling limited edition Retro Cobras tees on the night (while stocks last).