Daniel Moser. Picture: Noel Rowsell
The Parramatta Basketball Association played their final games of the 2012 Waratah Championship League pre-season competition on Saturday night, with the Wildcats women hosting the Northern Suburbs Bears at the Auburn Basketball Centre and the Wildcats men travelling to Crows Nest to play the Bears men at the Northern Suburbs Indoor Sports Centre.
What transpired from those two games will amaze even the most ardent Parramatta fan.
The action started on Saturday afternoon at Auburn, with the Wildcats women putting in a great performance against a star-studded Bears before losing narrowly 54-42.
The Wildcats led until late in the third quarter and kept the Bears in check until midway through the final term.
That performance was light years ahead of the Wildcats men, who turned in their worst performance in the WCL, capitulating to the high-profile Bears by an embarrassing 91-34 score-line on Saturday night.
The few Parramatta fans who had made the trek to Crows Nest were stunned into silence very early in the game, with the Bears racing away to lead 22-7 in the first quarter and 44-17 by half time.
Star centre Goran Veg was felled by a loose elbow from a team-mate during the second quarter, opening a huge gash under his chin which subsequently required five stitches.
Veg was taken off to hospital at half time and was subsequently joined in the Emergency Department by Norths centre Brad Ryan, who was also felled by a loose elbow in the closing minutes of the game.
Ryan fell into a semi-conscious state on the side of the court and the game was called off immediately, as players and officials quickly moved in to assist.
The early finish to the game undoubtedly saved the Wildcats from suffering a more embarrassing score and head coach Merve Tait now has a huge task ahead of him this week, endeavouring to rebuild team morale before this Saturday night's season opener against the Bankstown Bruins.
Tait may, in fact, have more confidence this Saturday in his under-rated Women's team, which will be looking to once again play at a competitive level.
The Lady Bruins are the reigning premiers of the WCL women's division but will not be able to take the inexperienced Wildcats lightly, provided they play to their strengths.
The Wildcats host the Bruins at the ABC on Saturday, with the women's game tipping off at 3pm and the men's game at 5pm.