The pressure is already building on the Dubbo Rams after back-to-back losses to start the 2019 Spalding Waratah League season.
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After an under strength side was beaten by Orange in the opening round, the Rams traveled to Lithgow for Saturday's clash with the Lazers.
The hosts started brilliantly, dropping 35 points in the first quarter and then maintaining the lead throughout to score a 99-79 victory.
"We really can't afford to drop too many more games," Rams player-coach Damien Reid said, the Waratah League being a 16-round season.
"This weekend we've got a long road trip to Shoalhaven and it's always tough playing them at home.
"It's six-and-a-half hours in a vehicle, and then on to the court, and then back again. That's pretty massive."
We really can't afford to drop too many more games.
- Rams player-coach Damien Reid
With only 16 rounds before the finals series, the Rams need to find form quickly.
The mood is far from panicked though, with plenty of positives coming out of Saturday's loss to the Lazers.
Lithgow's American imports Drelan Tripplett and Michael Johnson were standouts, scoring 38 and 24 points respectively but Canadian Ram Rob Dewar was immense in his debut.
The towering Dewar dropped 35 points and used his height to great effect, dragging in rebounds and allowing others to get involved while he was under defensive pressure.
"We'll always take positives from game and for us Rob was amazing," Dewar said.
"Their imports were very good but for me Rob was the standout on the court. He was double-teamed or even triple-teamed but made the right decisions over and over."
Dewar's fellow newcomer, American Charles Baines, was kept quiet in his first outing while Reid chimed in with 11 points.
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They were the only two players to score double figures.
The Rams trailed the entire game and the closest the visitors got after the first quarter blowout was within 14 points in the second.
"It was not necessarily a slow start offensively from us, they just started red hot and shot the lights out," Reid said of the Lazers.
"We probably could have come up with a different defensive strategy earlier but everything we threw at them, it didn't stop them."
The Rams will be without Dewar for this weekend's trip to Shoalhaven due to work commitments and Reid expects a number of others to be unavailable as well.
The Shoalhaven Tigers have been one of the best teams early on in the 2019 season, with a round one win over the Queanbeyan Yowies followed by a tight two-point win over the Canberra Gunners Academy on Saturday.
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
