ADJUSTMENT to the way the Miners played gave Everard Bartlett the room he needed to show what he is really capable of serving up.
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Bartlett chalked up 16 points and made 17 assists in Ballarat Miners’ 35-point win against Frankston in the South East Australian Basketball League on Sunday.
The New Zealand international created a string of exciting plays, linking up in particular with crowd favourite Roy Booker (29 points).
GMHBA Miners coach Eric Hayes said Bartlett had been doing a great job all season but it had been a matter of finding the right structures to best suit Bartlett’s game.
Miners fans enjoyed the whole team spectacle.
Importantly for the Miners, it gets their season back on track after a series of avoidable losses.
“If we come out and play like that, that style we showed (against Frankston), it is really exciting for the crowd,” Hayes said.
“It was just a hugely important win for us because our conference is pretty tight. That win gives ourselves a chance to keep pushing strong as we move forward through the season.”
The Miners regrouped well after a three-point loss at Nunawading a night earlier, having led for most of the match.
Hayes was pleased with how his players adjusted and stuck to what they wanted to do and how they wanted to play.
Changes allowed point guard Anthony Fisher to fire.
Fisher scored 23 points (four three-pointers) and added plenty of spark to the game.
“It was great to see Fish get into the swing of things and knock shots down,” Hayes said.
“It’s important for us going forward that he starts firing.
“His defensive play was fantastic and his energy was great.”
Hayes called on his bench for the remaining five minutes’ play.
The Miners were 24 points up and players were under clear instructions to keep up the intensity, which they did well.
Play was defensively tight and physical to half-time when the Blues went into the break with a five-point buffer.
The Miners opened the second half with two shots beyond the arc – one via Kodi Augustus, then Booker – but the Miners really made their break in the second half of the term to lead by 16 points by three-quarter-time.
They shut down Blue Brandon Polk, who had 17 points and five rebounds to half-time and finished with only five points and one rebound more.
The Blues were forced to find new scoring avenues but could not match the Miners.
Ahead looms another pivotal clash for the Miners when they host conference rival Canberra on Saturday night.
The Miners and Gunners are locked on the same win-loss ratio, each battling to stay in touch with the top four.
melanie.whelan@fairfaxmedia.com.au