It wasn’t the play drawn up by coach Bart Sykes but it was still the one which got the Dubbo Rams victory over the Lithgow Lazers on Saturday evening.
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The Rams made it back-to-back victories for the first time this season when American import Adam Ward tipped in a rebound with less than a second remaining on the clock at the Woolshed.
It was far from a textbook play executed by the Rams, who had one shot at the win after calling a timeout when down 95-94 with just 12.5 seconds to go.
Will Howell inbounded the ball to Steve Hall, who slipped and almost had the ball stolen before passing off the ground to Ward, who threw up a shot from just inside the circle.
It missed but veteran Brian Amos was on hand to gather the rebound and then throw up a quick shot, which also came off the rim.
But Ward had followed his shot in unnoticed and leapt up to grab the ball and quickly sink the shot with less than a second remaining, kick-starting celebrations among Dubbo players and fans alike.
“I’d like to say it went like clockwork but it was a bit shaky,” Rams coach Sykes said of the play with a laugh.
“There was a half slip and then a pass off the ground and Adam was fouled as he took his shot but it wasn’t called. And then we got a lucky rebound but but missed the shot but got a tip in.
“It wasn’t a perfectly executed play but for a lot of years that would be the sort of game which wouldn’t go our way so it was good to be on the winning side.”
Ward was worthy of winning the match for his side after yet another strong showing.
Sykes confessed he probably expected too much of the American early in the season but Ward appears more settled in to his surroundings now and has shown a huge amount of improvement in recent weeks, finishing with 26 points on Saturday.
Making the effort more impressive was the fact he was in foul trouble for almost the entire game and was forced to walk a tight rope in the final quarter.
Hall was another who had plenty of pressure on his shoulders this year but is also getting into the groove of things again while Will Howell impressed again in the win, scoring 19 points.
While there was plenty to be proud of, Sykes wants his side to be better again when it hosts the fifth-placed Wagga Heat this weekend in what is the club’s annual Pink Night charity match.
As has been the case for much of the season, the Rams drifted in and out of the game.
Ward scored the first eight points of the game as the hosts shot out of the blocks but the Lazers fought back and took the lead in the final quarter.
“We’re still patchy and it’s something I’ve spoken a lot about with the boys,” Sykes said.
“There’s no dramas when we’re hot and we’ve got the ability to score but we’re letting the other team score as well and we’re still having those lapses.
“But it is happening less and less and that’s a good thing.”
There was a number of good things about Saturday’s win with the improved performances of Ward and Hall taking pressure of youngster Howell, while the depth of talent in the squad also helped.
“We had some crafty blokes out there at the end,” Sykes said.
“Brian Amos got the rebound and he’s a veteran who just knows where to put his body and Adam played with real intensity.
“We’re starting to click and we’re getting contributions from blokes who we hadn’t been before.”
The Rams are now just one win behind the fifth-placed Wagga.