Live blogging tonight's season opener in Ballarat. Reigning Champs, Bendigo Women coached by "The Count of Hoops" Mark Alabakov just led the Braves to a win that involved a lot of counting for Bendigo, and ahh not so much for Ballarat, 88-46 to be exact. More on this later or if we get bored. My initial thoughts can be read oin my x page, which is probably what brought you here
8:04 Waiting for the Livestream to start, game was tip off at 8:04, turns out we need to keep refreshing the page. either way the action is now live at Here is the Livestream for the game, one had to keep refreshing the page as it did not autostart. Active now
https://nbl1.com.au/watch/1733877/nbl1-south-men-ballarat-miners-bendigo-braves/live-game First possession of the game and Ballarat's new import tried to throw down a huge tip jam that springs off that was as exciting for the announcer's reaction as it was for the eyes. Note, analysis of the announcers will be a heavy part of any potential comedy of this blog. More exciting was the sequence that led to the call "pressure from Barr at the rim". Meanwhile Robinson makes a three for Bendigo and moments before we know it a couple of O'Brien FT's have Bendigo up 9-4 with 7 minutes left, followed by a "really brilliant floater by Dylan McCaulay" on the Bendigo baseline
6:26 and HUGE spike by Barr on Stoddard's shot "That was mean" and "Rowan Mckenzie ends up in celebrity row" as he dives for the loose ball, to the next phrase we hear "just saying hi to a few of the Ballarat celebrities".. Meanwhile there was only two people sitting there with 4-5 vacant seats around em, the Ballarat celebrities must be out socialising, or MIA as they say. Actually do me a favour and DO NOT GOOGLE "Ballarat MIA" tonight, although that may explain the couple of empty seats in the 'celebrity section'.
Murphy seems to go to the locker room for Bendigo with a minor injury, as former Brave Jake Lloyd checks in for the Miners, the announcers then pump up the beauty of Jake's mid-range game , albeit he doesn't shoot enough. Take note Jakey, "shoot the J, Shoot it!!!"
3:00 left and Murphy checks back in and takes it straight to the rack on the right baseline for the up-and-under finish with the left and the and-1. As Pat Summerall used to say after PAT on Madden '99 "The. Ex-Tra Point. Is. Good!"
We hear Stoddard for the Miners has the greenest of lights and never met a shot he didn't like, let's see how the Braves scout accommodates for this. 1:52 SOme NIce BBall IQ by our announce team hear for the kids (and this isn't sarcasm); but an illegal screen on Murphy due to the guard trying to use it before he is set and then correctly explain how that is a two=person foul and often not the screener's fault, guards take note. Miners score off the TO, 16-20 with a minute left in Q1, and Miner's new Centre Poundak gets his first basket in the navy and blue. 18-20. We also hear Ballarat are without their first two guards off the bench, including Dunmore, as Youth League player Tor Tor gets his first NBL1 minutes, A name so fine I wish it was mine. Not to be a typo confused with former Bendigo mascot Tom Tom. 18-20 MIners with 15 seconds and them inbounding in the front court in front of their own bench. Always fascinated by clock management, Cody isolates Robinson for the 2 then flexes to the crowd despite 3 secs still on the game clock, lucky for he, O'Brien's straight heave just grazes the backboard for 20-20 at qtr time, despite the Braves having a couple of 5-6pt leads. Announcer 2: "A good even contest in the first quarter, the standout for me, other than Max Cody's haircut is his aggressiveness in looking to score the ball" "If you are a Bendigo fan not much to complain, pretty even spread".
No Comment on the image below for Bendigo fans, other than this could and should be a starting backcourt with Mitch Clarke still to come in, which likely would've made either a pretty solid super-sub 6th man.
Start of the 2nd Qtr and Tor Tor makes his first NBL1 bucket with a three, then this gets Bendigo fans giddier than Josh at an OKC hoedown.
Rosend
Then these two from Robinson force a Miners timeout with the Braves on a 8, I mean Robinson, on a 6-0 run.
4:50 32-31 Miners - Teams have traded free throws and bunnies for a while as the Miners work their way back into it after the Timeout, then O'Brien gives away cheeseburgers to Ballarat faithful.
Miners get a on 14-3 run with 4 mins left before, a sweet dish in the paint from Rowan Mackenzie to Robinson gets it back to 1.
<2mins, The MIners run out to 18-6 (and no Bendigo timeout, or at least that I've noticed during said run before McCaulay with a big corner three to cut it to 1 and keep the Braves in reach heading in to the half.
6.8 secs left and a TD pass off the Braves FT is a big mental lapse for Bendigo to give the MIners a 42-38 lead at the half.
QUARTER 3 Braves come out hot with the first 6 of the half to take a two-point lead.
Great teamwork and passing here from te Braves is pretty to watch, followed by McCaulay from the middle netball third to put the Braves back up by 1
6:44 - 44-44, In for a nailbiter on a Wednesday kiddies. Going to jump ahead as the diary and highlights have me all Alicia Keys and Fallin' behind realtime, and if I've learned anything about this NBL1 Live stream from both sides of the mic it's that once the game is over, even watching just a couple of minutes on delay, this livestream can cut any time. So in the interest of catching the actual few minutes of the game.... 3mins left in thrid, O'Brien to O'Brien for the Bendigo layup- Announcer 1: "O'Brien to O'Brien, bet that's happened before, sounds like a lawfirm" Announcer two then SINGS us the O'Brien glass jingle. 67-64 at 3qtr time 9:19 left (not a reference to a local Bendigo radio station/former employer) and a Rosendale three puts Ballarat up 70-60. Leading scorer update at this point, which I'm sorry to have neglected - Rosendal 26 on 5/7 from deeeep, Tyler Rudolph 20 & 8, Tor Tor Two for Two from Three Three with 6 crucial one sin his NBL1 South Senior debut. For the Braves, Andrew Robinson with 78 7/13 from the field, Rowan MacKenzie 14-5-7 Bendigo's two new players, despite having names that resemble a couple of local news journalists have been drawing fouls and creating when times get tough. McCaulay with 11 3/3 3's. Rosendale definitely playing with a chip on his shoulder against his former coach/team. 7:15 72-69 as MacKenzie gets the Braves possession after forcing a backcourt violation, this was AFTER hitting a clutch three in front of the Miner's bench, which was precedented by a nice layup. 72-72 Robinson with a three to tie it- not just a mig shot maker but a big shot taker. Like what we've seen so far.
78-72 - Cody with back to back threes from each wing to Ballarat back up six and is more than happy to tell the Bendigo bench all about it. Which makes me ponder, back in the glory days of the rivalry and the the ol ' Minerdome, Ballarat used to sit to the right of the scorebench (when facing it from the camera side) has this change been an influence on the success of Ballarat in the new gym? 5:05 Robinson with another big shot, this time a three in front of said bench to cut the lead in half 78-75. 4:37 Stoddard layup for the MIners then Billy Smythe witht he three-pt play after a fundamental up-fake. 80-78, into a Ballarat turnover then ROBINSON WITH ANOTHER BIG SHOT IN THE PAINT. 28 pts now. 80-80.
4:12 left 80-80. Extended pressure up the floor from the Braves. Cody makes a pair of Free Throws, when we hear "You're only as good as your last free throws". Rosendale subs back in with 26-26, Ballarat go with an all switchable five and Bendigo therefore feed "BIG BILLY SMYTHE" in the paint, O'Brien makes FT. Rosendale misses a lay-up, MacKenzie hits a three from the corner on camera side
84-82 Bendigo. Stoddard then ties it at 84 with a STone COld 3:16 left in the game. More on Wrestlemania 40, but let's just remind everyone that ythis is Rhea Ripley's world, and we are all just pawns in it. Prediction is she holds against Becky, Rock & Reigns win Satdy night which stacks the odds further against the CryBaby for Sunday, Back to "No Longer Dome" Ballarat Stadium . Which I can say from attendingm definiely does not have the characte, intensity, or atmosphere as the old Minerdome, but the same can be said about Bendigo Stadium compared to the old Schweppes Centre and WigWom before that. Shotclock about to expire after Lloyd is smothering MacCalay on the perimeter, then Robinson heaves one from the middle netball third... its a surprise that he misse as he "has hit every big shot so far tonight, why wouldn't he?"
2:31 OUR MAN LLOYDY Who should be in the Blue & Gold instead of Navy & Blue, hits a three from the near wing after Stoddard dives out of bounds to save his own miss, straight back to Lloyd for his first basket of the game. Murphy then throws away a baseline in bound with just over two mins to play. Braves get a stop, Dylan the airballllls an open three to tie it with 100 seconds left. .
The announcers must be reading this blog live as just rip off four wrestling moves s/references during a deadball, before Rudolph hit a three to double the lead back to 90-84. That reminds me, as I'm yet to bring up our mates at the bookies "SPONSOR THIS SENTENCE HERE" . Pre-game line was -6.5 with the total at 181.5. They ain't bad at their jobs here are they? More on this on my insta @trentblove30
1:21 TIMEOUT BENDIGO As Rudolph reveals his onions, then counts three to double the lead back. 90-84. ATO Bendigo get it Robinson for theree of a pindown which on replay shouldve been a foul for undrciutting him, although Robinson's natural body motion id have his leg's scissor Curry fadeaway style. Rosendale then hits Poundak with a no longer to put the Miner's up 8 which makes tings tough for the Braves, as Lloyd then gets a block despite his four fouls with 44 seconds left. Braves then brainfart in the corner from the endline,as MacKenzie doesnt get back in bouncds before receiving the pass The game fizzles from there as teams trade buckets, then all that's left is which side of page the bookies payout. but alas with 26 seconds remaining and 95-86 (equaling 181) McCaulay fouls Rosendale who goes to the line to calmly sink 27th and 28th points of the game, confirming his status to tie with Robinson for game's leading scorer, and alas hit Kurupt's Music as NATINA REED used to te ll us 'IT'S OVER(S)". "Recognize a real hit when y'all hear one"
97-86 to the hometeam; who cover the -6.5. Total 183, More tracking that side of the game below the games top performers:
Rosendale 28 , 5/10 downtownees, 3/3FTs (including those for the Overs) 8 boards 4 dimes MVP in revenge game against his former club. Who, he ironically won the Steve Kelly Memorial Game MVP Trophy in his last game with the Braves, at home against Ballarat last season, then retains said award and defends his trophy in the opener of this season as a Miner. Doubt (and hope not) that will ever happen again. I definitely did not mention about the history of the clubs and this rivalry here in this running diary/blog that I decided to do 11 minutes before tip off, promise I'll actually prepare next time.
T Rudolph 26-8, 10-14FGs, no dimes. Max Cody 16pts, 2/2 3's were the daggers that gave them their go-ahead and insurmountable lead when the game was tied just over midway through the 4th. Poundak with a solid 8 and 5 boards. LLOYD with 3-2-3 including the dagger to his former side and hometown, EVOLVing into a fine all around player with some big defensive plays in the final minutes also despite the four personals.
For the Braves, very impressed with Robinson and MacKenzie very solid, 22-7-9 for R-Mack with just three TO's for the PG. A-Rob (don't know why I didn't save my fingers and start abbreviating these earlier, 28-6-2 with some highlight plays, tough makes late in clocks or off broken plays plus a couple of "no-no-yessirs" that will delight Braves fans this season. D-McCaulay (sorry there is only and ever will be one D-Mac - see below) with 11 on 3/5 from deep, Murphy 7 &3 and Koch Bar (whose name I will need some time to adjust too) with 7 & 6 in his Braves debut.
Before the final wrap-up Braves fans, remember, even on nights like this, that the Miners couldn't even win their last game in their beloved MInerdome, so hopefully that makes you sleep a little easier tonight. Miner's fans, lap it up, solid home win with the home contingent impressing on a Wednesday, new coach looks the goods and made some nice in-game adjustments. Now back to the reference above, even with a Braves loss, let's reminisce with perhaps the greatest play in NBL Grand Final History.
At the end of the day, and now with an extra eight minutes looking over stats and the pbp timeline, 80-80 in Ballarat with four minutes left on a Wednesday night, I feel Bendigo take that most years, What Braves fans can't take however, is every time they managed to get back and tie or at key times of the game , the MIners would make at least the next two big plays, (64-60 at 3qtr time, nekkminnit 70-60; 72-72, then 78-72) noted MacKenzie's three made it 84-82 for a 12-4 run from in the middle juncture of the fourth, but that was when the Braves needed the final buzzer at Ballarat ripped off the biggest run by either team in the game to get up 95-84, 13-0 run from 3:47 left til 31 seconds left, well Coach Black doesn't need to call his hall of Fame Dad to know that execution just isn't good enough as Ballarat lifted their D intensity down the stretch. Nothing else major stood out in the hustle stats, Ballarat won in the Paint 40-32, 2nd chance pts 13-10, had the aforementioned longest run 13-0 to bendigo's best of 8-0, and had the biggest lead of the night in the last minute with 11 as opposed to Bendigo's 7 in the first half. team's tied bench points with 11 each, Shining light for Bendigo is 6-4 points off turnovers 8-4 on the fastbreak.
AROUND THE LEAGUE, IN THE BOOKS & ON YOUR APPS. Proving I know a nere nudder around these traps here are the other results in tonight's men's action:
Knox +4.5 cover, win outright and go OVER the total of 174.5 in a 109-93 win at Sandringham, who are awaiting Jo Lual-Aciul Jr + more from NBL to join. 38-20 in the second was the difference. Another Underdog not only covers but wins outright, as RINGWOOD + 3.5 Cover & WIN OUTRIGHT 94-65 against a what we hope is a depleted Kilsyth-team, UNDERS the total of 176..5 as expected for most Kilsyth games. Ringwood led 55-33 at the half. And in our game BALLARAT -6.5 OVER 181.52 in 97-86 Home win.
Therefore tonight:
TOTALS 2-1 O/U
Dogs 2-1 with both winning outright.
Home Dogs 1-0
Home Faves 1-1
Trent's picks (which you can see pregame on Insta and x.com ) ATS 1-2 (took all faves) and 3-0 on Totals. Let's keep it up.
Peace. Love & Hoops