One game past the halfway mark of the home and away season, the RetireInvest Ballarat Miners sit second on nine wins and five losses. Their record could easily be better.

But considering the Miners underwent a massive overhaul after winning just eight times last season, they are making solid ground.

"We're making steady progress," Mathison said.

"Individually we're starting to reach the goals I set."

Defence remains the big area that Mathison wants improved.

"That's the focus. As a group we can still tighten up.

"You want to keep teams under 100 (points).

"Until we do that . . ."

Ballarat has only managed to keep rivals to less than 100 on four occasions - nowhere near often

enough as far as Mathison or his players are concerned.

And in two of these outings, Bendigo and Kilsyth have gone within a basket of triple figures with 98 points.

The Miners have twice kept Mt Gambier where they wanted with 93 and 89.

Ballarat has been fortunate that - through the work of Jamal Brown, Ricky Henderson, Brett Goodgame and Marcus Toney-El - it has been able to top 110 six times.

One of these was last time it met the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, where the Miners

scraped home 113-110.

The Miners face the young tall timber of the AIS against at the Minerdome tonight.

They want the same result, but not such a tight scoreline.

The AIS always provides a strong sounding board for other young talent across the SEABL and this

be no exception for Ballarat's Ricky Henderson and Adam McSwain, who over the past few seasons

have been two of the most improved players in the competition.

Henderson is extremely difficult to beat offensively, but is also making Mathison smile with his defensive powers.

"To be doing what he is doing as a 19-year-old at both ends of the court is fantastic," Mathison said.