The Lady Miners will tackle Nunawading in the cut-throat qualifying final in Ballarat on Saturday night after losing to Knox by four points in a semi-final.

Knox Raiders outlasted the Ballarat Community Health Lady Miners 72-68 in a classic duel at the Minerdome on Saturday night.

Down by 18 points in the third quarter and seemingly out, Ballarat showed outstanding character to get within one point of the Raiders with one minute, 44 seconds left to play in the game.

Ultimately it was the poise and class of Australian Opals players Katrina Hibbert and Hollie Grima which guided Knox into the grand final.

Cool in the crisis, each shot two points from the free throw line in the dying seconds to end Ballarat's brave effort.

The Lady Miners were left to rue a devastating eight-minute stretch in the first and second quarters when Knox went on a 19-2 run.

Ballarat led by as much as seven points in a superb start to the night, but this black-out saw the Raiders open up what was to be match-winning 16-point lead.

Lady Miners coach Kym Cassells had been concerned about her team's inability to maintain consistency over the full 40 minutes of a game in the latter weeks of the regular season.

This proved to be the factor which brought the minor premier undone for the second year in a row in a second semi-final when a home court advantage in a grand final was on the line.

"It cost us. There's no doubt about that," Cassells said.

"We more than matched them for the rest of the night.

"We went stagnant offensively and allowed them open shots," she said.

Three fouls in the opening eight minutes of the game to Lady Miners' leading scorer Desi Glaubitz did not help the team's cause.

Having lined up on the dangerous Hibbert, Glaubitz was forced to subdue her aggression.

With Glaubitz having to hold back and centre Karen Ashby's offensive potency curtailed by her defensive focus on Grima, the Raiders were able to make their run.