Griffith Demons 74

A LOP-SIDED foul count all but crippled the Griffith Demons' chances of taking top spot in State League basketball, with five players unable to finish the game, handing Queanbeyan an easy 17-point win on Saturday night.

Griffith, who were already missing three guards for the top-of-the-table clash, were without a point guard for much of the first half with Mick Duncan picking up early fouls to resign him to the bench.

The Roadrunners used Duncan's absence as a chance to put pressure on the Demons' backcourt players, with coach Andrew Cullen admitting it was a day he wants to forget in a hurry.

"We were only down by 10 at half-time, but frustration from there on set in and we weren't getting any calls at all and the foul count got out to something like 30-15," Cullen said.

"Some days sport sucks and that was one of them.

"We were going alright for much of the game and we were in the game because they started panicking and we had the wood on them early."

The spectator list on the bench began to grow during the game for Griffith with Steve McCanna, Chris Sibraa and Adam O'Callaghan all being forced to sit down, with a number of other players flirting with fouling out in what was, at times, a fiery clash.

The lack of ball handlers in the side meant the normally slick movement around the perimeter by the Demons was not there, and subsequently the number of open looks at the basket meant contested and low percentage shots were all that was on offer for Griffith.

"The way it was unfolding I'm not sure if we would have won it because we weren't playing good enough, but once the confidence goes down because you're getting calls then you play poorer," Cullen said.

"We got a lot out of it because we got on the bus afterwards and basically we all just said 'stuff it, let's get on with the rest of the season because we got a lot more to play for because we know we're going to the finals'."

However, Griffith's next scheduled game against Wagga at West End Stadium may no got ahead, after the Heat forfeited their game against Illawarra on Saturday.

The Area News has learned Wagga officials want to suspend player Matt Bishop for an undisclosed reason with the other players not travelling to play Illawarra out of protest.