BALLARAT Miners' winning home run in the South East Australian Basketball League is over.
Kilsyth last night gave the Miners their first taste of defeat at the Minerdome for the season in emphatic style - going away 77-60.
Going into the game in fourth position in the east conference with a 3-2 win-loss ratio, the Wes Davidson Real Estate Miners had an opportunity to overtake Kilsyth and press for a top two position.
And their first 10 minutes gave every indication Miners head coach Guy Molloy had his players on song to deliver.
They led by up to nine points and had the bigger Cobras struggling to keep in touch.
This did not last though.
Fernandez Lockett saw to that.
The athletic Lockett, who crossed from Albury-Wodonga in the off-season, took control.
He provided the impetus which allowed Kilsyth to turn the game on its head with a 11-point turn around in the second quarter.
That was just a sample of things to come from Kilsyth.
A 25-14 third period sunk the Miners and there was no way back.
Ballarat's demise coincided with early foul trouble for point guard Dan Joyce.
When he was called for his fourth foul three minutes, 30 seconds into the second quarter, there was just a basket in the game.
Kilsyth had already made a spirited comeback, but they had not stamped their total authority on the contest.
It was from this moment though, with Joyce confined to the bench for the rest of the half, that Ballarat lost its way and Kilsyth stole a march to secure victory.
Joyce did well to play the bulk of the second half without fouling out.
However, the Miners were unable to break down the Kilsyth defence and also struggled to keep their own defensive discipline together.
The exciting Lockett finished with 29 points at 75 per cent and 14 rebounds as Ballarat was thrashed on the boards at each end of the court.
Molloy said Lockett had been given far too much freedom.
He said he was extremely disappointed with the lack of defensive pressure put on the Kilsyth gamebreaker.
Molloy said one of the trademarks he wanted the Miners known for was a stifling defence.
He admitted it had been a battle to instill this into his newly constructed roster.
Drake Reed came out of the blocks with a rush for the Miners with seven points in the opening quarter, but only managed 14 for the night.
Jamal Brown made 13 points and seven rebounds, while Tariq Naqqash also struggled after a bright start to get 11 points.
Molloy said shooting 38 per cent from the field (to Kilsyth's 48 per cent) also reinforced disappointing execution.
"We missed too many shots we'd normally make - especially down the lane.
"Our perimeter finishing was poor," he said.
This puts the heat on the Miners for their clash with the Geelong Supercats at the Minerdome on Saturday night.
It is now a game Ballarat cannot afford to lose if is to stay in touch with Brisbane, Bendigo and Kilsyth in the east conference, and maintain a break over Knox.
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