THE Ipswich Force made it two wins from two games across a perfect weekend, defeating the Rockhampton Rockets 112-106 on Sunday afternoon at Ipswich Basketball Stadium behind another masterclass from reigning NBL1 North MVP Lamar Patterson.
Patterson producing a triple-double of 19 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists as Ipswich backed up Saturday night’s road victory over the North Gold Coast Seahawks.
Alongside the booming potency of Samuel McDaniel, who has emerged as a consistent inside presence capable of taking a game and flipping it on its head, Ipswich is beginning to look every bit like a team capable of returning to the holy land of finals basketball.
While Patterson orchestrated the contest, it was Lachlan Anderson who delivered the knockout blows.
He erupted for a game-high 37 points in a devastating shooting display, connecting on seven of his 10 attempts from beyond the arc.
McDaniel continued his impressive run of form with another double-double, finishing with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Merrick Small added 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench, while captain Jason Ralph chipped in with six assists.
The victory capped a perfect weekend for Ipswich after Saturday night’s impressive 86-74 win over the North Gold Coast Seahawks at Runaway Bay Indoor Stadium.
Patterson led the way in that contest as well, finishing with 24 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
He received strong support across the floor, with Small dominating inside for 17 points and nine rebounds, McDaniel adding 15 points and Anderson contributing 13 points and seven rebounds.
The Ipswich Force women endured a difficult weekend, suffering back-to-back defeats, first falling 100-83 to the North Gold Coast Seahawks before going down 79-74 to the Rockhampton Cyclones on Sunday despite a spirited fightback.
Both squads return home next weekend when they host the Northside Wizards at Ipswich Basketball Stadium.
