Braves Snatch Thrilling One-Point Victory

The Bendigo Braves edged out the Launceston Tornadoes 80-79 on Sunday at Red Energy Arena Bendigo in a nail-biting contest that featured 15 lead changes. Cassidy McLean led the way for Bendigo with 21 points, shooting an efficient 40 percent from beyond the arc while getting to the charity stripe nine times. Mikayla Pivec added 15 points, six boards, and five assists, demonstrating her all-around game. The Braves capitalized on Launceston's mistakes, converting 20 Tornadoes turnovers into 16 points while dominating the paint with 48 points inside. Launceston stayed competitive behind a balanced attack with Bailey Flavell, Ava McDonald, and Megan Mullings each contributing 15 points. The Tornadoes were deadly from outside, knocking down 53 percent of their triples compared to Bendigo's 22 percent. Taya Webb was a defensive force with four blocks and eight defensive rebounds, but Launceston's 20 turnovers ultimately proved costly in the one-point defeat. **BENDIGO BRAVES 80 (Cassidy McLean 21, Mikayla Pivec 15, Taisheka Porchia 13).** **LAUNCESTON TORNADOES 79 (Bailey Flavell 15, Ava McDonald 15, Megan Mullings 15).** #NBL1Basketball #GameDay