The Rollers have notched their third win of their AOZ campaign with a gritty 79–71 victory over Iran in Bangkok today.
In a physical contest against one of the region’s biggest and strongest teams, the Rollers traded baskets with Iran for much of the game before holding their composure late to record their third win of the tournament.
Head Coach Brad Ness said he was impressed by the Rollers’ ability to respond and absorb Iran’s pressure.
“I’m super, super happy, we knew Iran would come out hard. They’re big, they’re aggressive and they’re physical,” Ness said.
Despite being without key low-pointer Frankie Pinder, who was sidelined due to illness, the Rollers adapted well and maintained their intensity on both ends of the floor.
“We were missing Frankie who’s been a big part of what we’ve been doing, but Jannik Blair and Phil Evans really stepped up, defending above their points for 40 minutes, which is incredibly tough to do.
“The guys held Iran to two points over the last five minutes, and we closed it out by eight — happy days!”
The win lifts the Rollers to 3–0, keeping them firmly in contention for a top-of-the-pool finish. They’ll look to extend their unbeaten run when they face China tomorrow at 2:30pm AEDT.
