June 5: Ballarat Miners 93 (D. Reed 32, J. Brown 25, T. Naqqash 10) defeated St Laurence Geelong Supercats 92 (N. Herbert 27, J. Bullock 24, B. Cox 16) at The Arena.

It was the game that had almost everything as the Supercats went down by a point to country Vic arch rivals Ballarat in a thrilling match at the Arena. The on court fracas in the last minute of play saw the quarter run for nearly thirty minutes as the Supercats almost pinched the win.

The Supercats started the game well, Isma’il Muhammad’s first dunk after J’Nathan Bullock sat the ball up for him was something to see but it was his second dunk from Braith Cox’s alley oops that had the Arena crowd jumping as he flew along the baseline and was at a 45 degree angle to the basket as he slammed home the 2 hander. Consecutive three’s from Nathan Herbert and Jamie Medved saw the home side pull away to an 11 point lead before they settled to by 8 points in front at the first break.

The Miners fought back in the second with import Drake Reed and former Supercat Jamal Brown helping the visitors close the margin to just 2 points early in the term. The teams went basket for basket for the rest of the term with Bullock scoring 12 first half points in a welcome return after missing last Sunday’s game with injury. Geelong held their slender 2 point lead at the change of ends.

Ballarat seized the advantage early in the third term and the lead changed 10 times in the quarter. Herbert was beginning to increase his output at the scoring end, however Ballarat held a 4 point lead by three quarter time.

The last quarter was one of the most extraordinary and dramatic quarters of basketball ever seen at the Arena. With never more than a couple of points in it, both sides had scored 18 points after the first seven and a half minutes to leave Geelong 4 points behind. Brown then scored 2 free throws and a basket to take the visitors out by 8 with 1:38 to play and things looked bleak for Geelong. However Herbert then scored a 2 and a 3 to put the Supercats 3 behind with 55 seconds on the clock. The Supercats were forced to foul to regain possession and Daniel Joyce hit 1 of his free throws for the Miners to go four up but Bullock quickly responded to bring the margin back to 2 with 33 seconds left. 

It was then that the drama really started as Cox fouled Tariq Naqqash off the ball. After the timeout, Naqqash lined up at the free throw line but the score bench correctly ruled that it was Joyce, who was in possession when the foul was committed, who should shoot the shots. Joyce again made one of two for a three point lead and the Supercats quickly drove back up the court. In his exuberance, Cox was called for the double dribble and turned it over. When Cox fouled Naqqash on the inbounds pass that player responded by pushing Cox and when Ballarat’s Ryan Barnes joined in, suddenly a fracas erupted involving all on court players. The referees quickly restored order but it then took them a full six minutes to determine to disqualify Naqqash and Barnes and determine that Cox’s foul was unsportsmanlike. With Cox and Naqqash’s foul cancelling each other out Geelong had 2 shots and possession on the back of Barnes’ foul. Herbert made both the free to put Geelong down by just a point with 12 seconds on the clock. Now it was Ballarat’s turn to professionally foul and Muhammad was sent to the line with 8 seconds on the clock. Unfortunately Isma’il missed them both and Ballarat won by a point.

Herbert’s 20 points in the second half saw him finish with 27 while Bullock had 24 and Cox 16. Reed was the best for Ballarat with 32.

The Supercats travel to Brisbane next weekend to play the Spartans on Saturday night and will return to the Arena on Friday June 25 to play Knox. 

The Supercats will have a bye in week 14 and will hold their annual “Superball” at the Arena on June 19.

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