THE Hamilton Hurricanes had its first Country Basketball League (CBL) double header of the season, losing to Colac and Portland over the weekend.

Sunday’s game at HILAC against the Coasters offered the home side a chance to reverse the earlier season result, and the Hurricanes started positively, going into the first break leading, 20-19.

The visitors edged clear in the second term to lead by a point at half time, as Josh Miller and Joel Le Roy shouldered much of the responsibility.

Wade Macdonald had moments, and helped push the home side’s lead out to four points at the final change of ends.

Hamilton had a six-point advantage with seven minutes to play, before the Coasters closed the gap and eventually hung on to win, 73-70.

Josh Miller put up a game-high 23 points, supported by 13 from Le Roy and 11 from Macdonald.

Hurricanes coach, Dean Le Roy said

“We had 17 lead changes for the game, it was a fair battle back and forth and when we played them earlier in the season, we lost by 41,” he said

“Not so much one that got away, every opportunity we had we grabbed and that is the type of game we want to play, but at the end of the day they just made more shots than us.

“There wasn’t a time during the game when I didn’t think we were a sniff, the whole time knowing the game could still be ours, there wasn’t a time where we rolled over and let them extend the lead out beyond single digits.

“It just comes down to experience, they have a lot of experience and veterans, and their coach has played a lot of basketball.

“Obviously hard to see that one slip with us being six points up, but I don’t think our boys could have done much more.”

The game came after a Saturday night clash in Colac, where the Kookas opened up a 15-7 quarter time lead, before dominating the third term with a 29-point effort, before the visitors responded with a 20-7 final term, losing 57-68.

“We got open shots, they just didn’t fall,” Dean Le Roy said.

“We weren’t getting forced into late shot clocks, they weren’t stealing the ball off it, we got good open shots and also an unfamiliar environment as well.

“We still played our brand of basketball though, the second quarter we had momentum our way, and parts of the third term and the first five or six minutes in the final quarter.

“Most didn’t get home until midnight last night.

“We have got one more double header which is away, Millicent and Mount Gambier, but just that unknown,

“Having that mental fitness to still play good basketball after playing the night before, so it is just about getting games under their belt.”

Miller finished with 23 points, while Jakob Greaves was the next best with nine points.