Silver Bandits can’t keep up with Slam

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, April 12, 2000 | 10:11 a.m.

Las Vegas Silver Bandits interim head coach Barry Hecker embraced his new role with enthusiasm and excitement.

Unfortunately, his team didn't play that way.

A day after Las Vegas head coach Rolland Todd resigned and Hecker, a former assistant, was named to fill the role for the remainder of the season, the Silver Bandits looked lifeless, listless and lethargic in a 125-95 loss to the visiting New Mexico Slam on Tuesday night. It was the Silver Bandits' worst home loss of the year.

Hecker can only hope the Silver Bandits play better tonight when they host the Richmond Rhythm at 7.

"I was up for the game," Hecker said. "I told the guys at the half that I thought they were maybe trying too hard.

"I'm not disappointed with their effort, but I just don't think we did enough to win."

Before an estimated 200 spectators at the Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas was outrebounded 56-36 by a physical Slam team that had eight players score in double figures led by Andy Panko's game-high 26 points on 7-of-11 shooting.

The Silver Bandits were led by J.R. Henderson with 22 points while Jeff Martin contributed 18.

Hecker had been on the bench from the start assisting Todd and ruled out the coaching change as a reason for the team's collapse.

"We were running basically the same stuff we were when coach Todd was on the bench," Hecker said. "Nothing really changed, we tried to press a little more.

"That was about it."