Another OT thriller, this time it’s heartbreak for Bendigo

The Bendigo Bank Braves had to do it how they had done it most of the season – without a full roster. And they almost pulled it off.

Winning the do-or-die NBL 1 South semi-final away against Kilsyth on Friday night without top scorer Kuany Kuany was always going to be tough.

But it didn’t seem that way for the first 12 minutes.

Bendigo was all over the Cobras in the first quarter, their flowing attack only bettered by their stunning defense, which has been their hallmark all season.

The Braves were 30-16 up at quarter time, with Luke Rosendale, Malcolm Bernard, Sidy Djitte, and Jake Lloyd on fire.

Bendigo’s lead got out to 19 early in the second half, but by the long break it was down to just five, 47-42.

From there it was a slugfest, with Bendigo’s lead getting out to 11, and Kilsyth reining them in. Then Bendigo made yet another run, only to have the Cobras claw it back.

With two and a half minutes left in the game, Bendigo was down by seven, and all looked lost.

Enter, yet again, that never-say-die basketball that got Bendigo over the line in Overtime at home last week.

Back-to-back threes by Rosendale and Lloyd saw the lead cut to one within a minute. The next four baskets were missed as the tension rose.

With nine seconds left, Kilsyth big man Deng Deng tipped in a rebound to put the lead out to three.

It was déjà vu all over again for Bendigo, needing a three in the dying seconds to send the game into Overtime.

It couldn’t happen again could it? Surely not.

It did, in exactly the same way.

With two seconds left on the clock, Bernard put up a long-range shot to tie the game. As he did the week before. This time it was heavily contested, and from the corner, but it didn’t matter.

Overtime was a struggle for both tired teams, with missed shots and regular turnovers.

In the end, Bendigo went down 88-93 in yet another Titanic game of basketball.

Bendigo had five players in double figures for the game, testament to the team basketball that got them so far, despite their full roster only playing in five games throughout the season.

Bernard topped the scoring and rebounding count for Bendigo, with 28 and eight. Lloyd finished with an impressive 17 points, and Djitte 13.

Coach Stephen Black said the start of the game showed what his team could do.

“It was everything we had showed throughout the year coming together for that quarter and a bit,” he said.

“They brought extra pace off the bench, made a run, and it was back and forth from then on.

“We were able to hang in there, but unfortunately we didn’t make the plays we wanted to.”

Black said he was proud of how his team had stepped up all year in the face of big challenges.

Recruits Bernard, Mitch Clarke, Djitee, and Kuany started the season mid-way through, with Kuany missing multiple games playing for South Sudan, and Bernard out for a big chunk late in the season with a hamstring injury. 

“My feeling was incredible pride for the team and the effort they put in Friday night and all year,” Black said.

“Our full lineup is a pretty talented one, we just didn’t see it on court together as much as we would have wanted.

“Having said that, the group we played with tonight had the talent to win and win the next day at Hobart.

“Credit to them all. They have had a great season.”

Photo - Akuna Photography