THE Hamilton Hurricanes headed north for their first away game of the Country Basketball League (CBL), travelling to Horsham to face the Hornets in round six action.
It was the second time in four rounds the two teams faced off, with Hamilton going down by 34 points in round three at HILAC.
With the game scheduled for the same weekend as the junior tournament, a big crowd was in and the home side didn’t disappoint, grabbing an early lead and pushing the margin out to seven points by the end of the first quarter.
The 20-13 lead continued to grow in the second period, as the Hurricanes tried to get back in the contest, but tight defence and missed shots saw the visitors fall even further off the pace.
Hamilton tried to get on a run, but Horsham was able to control the contest and went into half time with a 45-28 scoreboard advantage.
Cody Bryan and Austin McKenzie needed attention, as the pair dominated the offence for the home side, and with a half to play, the Hurricanes needed a strong third term if they were to get back into the contest.
The spread got too much for Hamilton, as the Horsham put up 30 points in the third quarter to put the game beyond doubt, as the visitors only managed 16 points, which proved to be their best scoring period for the game.
The final quarter saw the Hornets continue their domination, putting together a second consecutive 30-point period.
The Hurricanes added 15 points at the other end, to go down 59-105 at the final buzzer.
Horsham had five players hit double digit points, while the visitors had only one, as Josh Miller continued his stunning season with 23 points.
Angus Hayden-Simpson had his best game to date with nine points, while Sam Brewer matched the scoring output, giving the visitors some positives from the game.
After six games in four weeks, the squad will get a chance to regroup, as they sit out round seven with a bye.
The team can work on things at training and freshen up, ahead of a return to HILAC for a round eight double-header.
The Hurricanes will host Terang on November 25, before backing up with a clash against Mount Gambier Lakers the following day.
