Through the middle was a little shaky from the St Kilda Saints.
But there was enough in the good patches to show this is a team still capable of contending, as the run into the playoffs begins in men’s club basketball.
The Saints claimed a 99-63 win over the Mid City Lions on Saturday.
It took them to a 4-1 record through the league’s middle round, turning around their 2-3 start to the season.
Certainly the Lions were understrength, and this was possibly the strongest Saints lineup of the season so far.
However, it was much-improved Saints performance from the last meeting between these two.
They came out in a press, looking to trap aggressively in the half-court, and did plenty of damage there.
At its most effective it generated turnovers for easy baskets.
The Saints led 12-0 before the Lions finally got points on the board, but the margin soon extended to 13 points at 16-3.
It was a typically clinical start from the Saints.
Mike Ruske (21 points) led the way, but importantly the trio of James Ross (13 points), Liam Aston (11 points) and Jamie MacDonald (10 points) were all potent, ensuring a spread of threats.
The Lions never really got going from the outside, but began to find points as they looked into the paint, especially as the Saints dropped out of their press.
Callum Chirnside (24 points) and Harry Bezett (17 points) started finding their way to the line while finishing their share of baskets too, quietly erasing the deficit.
They got the score back to 43-35 at halftime, which quickly became 51-50, after two Toby Kendon baskets and a three-pointer from Bezett.
However, that was as close as the Saints let it get.
They fought to stay to ahead, before Angus Cameron (19 points) heated up just before three-quarter time.
He hit three quick triples, before finishing from a offensive rebound, to make it 75-61.
That margin became 20 shortly after the break, as the Saints ramped up the defensive pressure again and the Lions began throwing the ball away, allowing the Saints to cruise through to a comfortable win.
In other games, Toby Hunt had 24 as the Andy Bay Falcons upset the City Rise Bombers 83-79, claiming their second win in as many weeks after going winless until that point.
The Mid City Magic moved to a 9-1 record, remaining clear at the top of the table with a 113-84 win over Varsity.
Mitchell Hughan led the Magic with 26 points, while Benji Freeman had 23 points.
