Chris Anstey slams starting five after struggling Tigers suffer embarrassing home loss to Crocs

Melbourne Tigers coach Chris Anstey is angry at the performance of his starting five against Townsville. Source: Getty Images

An angry Anstey labelled it one of the worst losses he could remember after his side was blasted off its home floor by a unfancied Townville outfit that came into the match with a modest 2-5 record.

The Tigers could not have started any worse - scoring just six points in the first eight minutes and trailing by as much as 15 in the first quarter.

Anstey - who had challenged his side to be switched on from the opening tip - said there was no excuse for the way his side started.

"We took a kick in the guts tonight," Anstey said.

"If there's a sniff of us starting the game like that next week, I'm putting the bench in.

"There has got to be a greater responsibility that goes towards the way we start a game.

"It's not good enough to dig yourself a hole and then try and dig yourself out."

The Tigers recovered from the start to go ahead during the third quarter and it looked like they would overrun Townsville.

But the fourth term saw the Crocodiles overwhelm a stunned Tigers outfit that could not go with them.

Shooting guard Chris Goulding hit a game-high 25 points while big man Mark Worthington scored 14 points and pulled down six boards.

The Crocodiles were well served by Josh Pace (18 points, six rebounds) and Steven Markovic (15 points, four assists).

"That was as disappointing a loss or a game as I can remember," Anstey said.

"We went away from what makes us good and what makes us competitive.

"Giving up 25 points in the first quarter and 28 in the last quarter and just easy baskets - you can't win like that.

"It was a good reality check for this group."

The Tigers face the Breakers in New Zealand on Thursday night before backing up against the Sydney Kings at The Cage on Sunday.

When asked if his players had looked ahead, Anstey replied:

"You'd have to ask them but they better not have," he said.

"Everyone has to figure out what was going through their head leading into that game.

"Because whatever it was, it wasn't right for too many people.

"The preparation physically was the same, but I don't know what the mental preparation was."

Worthington denied the players had looked past the Townsville game but he did not try to sugarcoat the defeat.

"That was a tough loss," he said.

"It's becoming a bit of a habit in the first quarter, which is not good.

"Obviously we've dug ourselves of the hole again (in the third term).

"Then in the last five minutes they've played really well and we've played like s…"