NEWCASTLE Hunters coach Darren Nicholls hopes his side can sneak up on the Canberra Nationals and steal a road win in their Waratah Australian Basketball League season opener at the Australian Institute of Sport tonight.
After winning just two games last year, the Hunters have added former Hunter Pirates NBL players Josh Morgan and Adam Melmeth, veteran sharpshooter Trevor Gallacher and visiting American Nick Freer.
Morgan will combine his Hunters duties with his commitments with Newcastle rugby union club Merewether Carlton, but Nicholls said he was a certain starter tonight.
"The combination between Josh Morgan and Nick Freer is coming along well," Nicholls said.
The Hunters women, coached by Larry Davidson, have added American Taylor Silas, Maitland's Amanda Bendeich and Central Coast's Ilanah Forrest to a team spearheaded by returning former WNBL players Katie Ebzery and Dimity Stewart.
The men play at 5pm and the women tip off at 3pm.
? Two-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson has re-signed with the Seattle Storm to a multi-year contract. She has played all nine of her WNBA seasons at Seattle.
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