South West Slammers coach Shane Goff says men’s side is looking to make the Eaton Recreation Centre a fortress

South West Slammers men’s coach Shane Goff says his side are looking to make a fortress of their home at the Eaton Recreation Centre. The Slammers grabbed their first win of the season on Friday night in front of their fans with a 89-77 victory over the Cockburn Cougars. Goff said the team’s home form would go a long way to determining their success this season. “We want to make (visiting teams) feel as unwelcome as possible with the crowd and let them know they’re coming to a place where it’s tough for them to win,” he said. “When we play at our best, we’re able to beat the best. “(The win) is great reward to the boys for the hard work they’ve put in. I’m pleased for them, I’ve seen the work that these guys have done.” A dominant defensive performance was the key to the win for the Slammers, who gave up only 40 points across the second and third quarters in Friday night’s contest. Goff reserved special praise for defensive anchor Alex Holcombe, who lead the way with four blocks to go with his 13 rebounds and 18 points. “I reckon he got robbed of about three or four more blocks during that game, he was outstanding,” he said. “He did his job extremely well playing in one of the toughest positions as a big centre, he protected the rim and pulled rebounds down.” The Slammers will welcome the reigning NBL1 West champion the Geraldton Buccaneers to Eaton on Saturday night, with Goff saying his side would not be afraid to use a 61-point season-opening loss to the same opponent last year as motivation. “That was one that will stick in the memory for a long time to come,” he said. “Twelve months down the line, new team, new players, new mindset, bit more experience for the younger guys, and hopefully we just try to make it as hard as possible for them.” The clash between the Slammers and the Buccaneers tips off at 7pm, with the women’s side on a bye.