THERE was drama, there was tension and there was the threat of overtime, but there was no way Ballarat Rush was going to let this game slip.
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Rush finished the game just how it started it – with plenty of drive and energy – to fend off Canberra by three points for its first season win in the South East Australian Basketball League.
Ultimately, this match came down to the final, dying seconds. Rush had a two-point lead and Canberra made its final play, throwing long to star player Steph Talbot.
Shanae Greaves intercepted. And then there was a twist.
Rush co-captain Kristy Rinaldi was ejected from the playing arena and forced to watch the last plays from the corridor after an incident with Canberra’s Tara Hay.
A very cool Sophie Alexander stepped up and made her two free throws; Talbot made one from two.
Finally, Rush had reward for its efforts.
The players had set the mindset for how they wanted to play from the outset.
Rush coach Peter Cunningham was pleased with how well they combined as a team and stuck to their plays.
“The plan was to bring everyone into the game in the first quarter, get them moving up and down the floor and putting pressure on each end,” he said.
“We wanted a hard, quick game. We got everyone in and gave the team a bit of drive and energy.
“Rotations made the game close but it was a good way to get everyone up and about.”
A high priority was to stop Talbot, and Rush kept mixing up its defence, double-teaming her, triple-teaming her.
Still, Talbot shot 21 points to half-time.
However, Olivia Thompson locked Talbot down to just four points in the second half.
Rush co-captain Abbey Wehrung was tireless with 17 points and four assists against rivals who were mostly teammates from her Women’s National Basketball League club, playing in the Capitals’ SEABL offshoot.
Recruit Jess May had her best game for the season with sharp shooting for her 16 points, including three beyond the arc, and with her on-court leadership and communication.
Greaves continued her tough, hard work.
When Rush slipped 10 points behind in the third quarter, Cunningham looked to the young trio of Molly Mathews, Kasey Burton and Alexander to add spark off the bench and hold their own.
They helped peg the margin back to six points by three-quarter-time.
As the game grew tighter, Cunningham was pleased to hear players making their own defensive calls on the floor.
Rush sung the team song loud and proud in the rooms.
They have been building to this moment on good form the past three games.
Now, they need to keep building for a road trip to meet Albury-Wodonga.
melanie.whelan@fairfaxmedia.com.au