It’s been a long time coming but the Dubbo Rams broke through for a Waratah League win on Saturday night and now the plan is start stringing them together.
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After showing promise in the opening three rounds, the Rams put it all together at the Woolshed at Dubbo Sportsworld on Saturday, running out convincing 100-71 winners of the Hawkesbury Jets.
American import stole Conrad Etchi stole the show, scoring a game-high 35 points and delighting the bumper crowd with a number of highlight-reel worthy dunks.
But above everything else, Ram Damien Reid was delighted put in a complete performance.
“We’ve got the monkey off our back. It was very good and very pleasing,” he said.
We’ve got the monkey off our back.
- Damien Reid
“Conrad’s points stand out but without the other guys doing what they did his job would not have been as easy.”
The Rams went through all of last season winless so Reid admitted his side enjoyed celebrating the drought-braking win before attention quickly turned to this weekend’s trip to Illawarra and the rest of the season.
“I see probably our next eight games as extremely winnable games for us,” Reid said.
“As long as we stay focused an use what we learned on the weekend.
“We learned how to play consistently, not just for two or three quarters.”
The Rams were in a positive mood before the game even began as the under-12s side which played in the curtain-raiser stayed behind and whopped and cheered all during warm-up.
Once the match started, the Rams were immediately on the front foot and led 24-19 at the first break.
That lead only grew in the second quarter, with Etchi leading the way while Reid, Hayden Howell and Shayne Brown were also making the most of the Rams’ dominance.
The home side led by 20 points at half time and a third quarter blitz decided the match.
Dubbo powered to a 81-54 lead, showcasing plenty of skill in both attack and defence.
“Everyone chipped in,” Reid said.
“Even the blokes who didn’t score. They contributed in other ways, whether it was rebounds or tight defence when we needed it.”
The final margin was 29 points with Brown finishing with 18 points in a fine supporting role while Reid and Howell scored 14 each.
“It was total commitment,” Reid said of the team effort.
“Everyone stuck to what we’ve been trying to do and we didn’t stray from the gameplan but there’s still room to improve.
“We enjoyed the first victory but it’s time to look for number two.”