Bendigo grinds out win number nine

The Champions IGA Bendigo Braves Women ground out yet another important win against the Dandenong Rangers at Red Energy Arena on Saturday night.

Bendigo sits outright atop the NBL1 South ladder with the 91-82 win, but they didn’t have it all their own way.

A determined Dandenong outfit mixed up their defensive styles throughout the night to test the undefeated Bendigo side.

Meg McKay’s transition running was no match for the Rangers early, scoring eight points in the first quarter as Bendigo went into the first break 29-22 up.

The Braves put a lot of pressure on the Rangers’ ball carriers in the second term, creating multiple scoring opportunities.

At the other end, Bendigo’s switch-style of defense resulted in mismatches for the Dandenong bigs, Bendigo going into the main break 48-42.

Bendigo’s lead pushed out to 74-62 at three-quarter time, with the Braves’ transition game taking the match away from the Rangers.

Missed layups and turnovers brought the lead back to eight in the last quarter, but Bendigo’s class got them home.

McKay finished the night with 26 points and 13 rebounds to top all scorers.

Cassidy McLean made key baskets and plays throughout the game, with 18 points and nine rebounds.

And the evergreen Kelly Wilson did it again, recording her second triple-double of the season with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists.

Coach Mark Alabakov said it was a frustrating game, but one he was glad his team had.

“It was an important night for our development to grind out four quarters against a team that kept coming, and find a way to win,” he said.

“It was important for us to overcome all the frustrations we had on Saturday night and focus on moving forward.

“The present moment is the only one you can impact.”

Alabakov said his team was well prepped for Dandenong’s defensive tactics.

“We knew what Dandenong would throw at us defensively, and we knew they would mix it up, so we had to react accordingly,” he said.

“We had clarity about what they would do and how we would react. My favourite phrase recently has been ‘clarity is the new clever’.

“We did a good job of not allowing the defensive changes to impact what we wanted to do and were able to create the opportunities we needed.”

The next home game is Saturday 27 May VS Geelong United Supercats at Red Energy Arena. Tickets here: https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/Show.aspx?sh=BENBRA0623