Coming off perhaps the biggest win in franchise history, the Halifax Rainmen are leery of a letdown.
The Rainmen, who made a statement last Sunday by beating the two-time defending Premier Basketball League champion Rochester RazorSharks, face the less formidable Buffalo Stampede on Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Metro Centre.
The Stampede have won just three of 27 games in franchise history and just changed head coaches on Thursday.
“There’s no fanfare,” said Rainmen head coach Les Berry. “These guys aren’t someone with the reputation of Rochester … But I’ve played Buffalo once (last season when they were 1-19) and it was a one-point game with five seconds to go.
“Everybody in this league can play.”
The Rainmen, 5-2, have won five of six games and boast one of the PBL’s best defences (97 points per game).
Six-foot-10 Marc Mazur, signed two weeks ago, has given the Rainmen the post presence they’ve been looking for, averaging 7.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 26 minutes.
But Berry figures it’s easy to get complacent.
He wasn’t happy watching Rochester drop 60 second-half points on his squad last Sunday and doesn’t want his offence to settle for as many jump shots as they have been.
“We didn’t get extra points for beating Rochester, Oklahoma or anyone else,” Berry said. “It’s just one game. Now it’s Buffalo and we’ve got to win that game. It’s just as important in the standings and hopefully these guys get that.”
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