The GMHBA Ballarat Miners’ mixed results this weekend has left them three wins off top-four pace in South East Australian Basketball League’s east conference with four games to play.

It has been crunch time for awhile now in the Miners’ camp but an eight-point loss at home to east rival Albury-Wodonga on Saturday night really hurt.

The Miners strayed from their game and looked frustrated going into half-time with a 19-point deficit. Energy was better in the second half and they clawed back within four points of the Bandits with four minutes to play. Damaging Bandits Dante Nicholas (28 points) and Deba George (24, six three-pointers) were kept relatively contained after making big first-half impressions.

A more consistent team effort in a road-trip to Frankston secured the Miners a four-point win on Sunday. This also keeps a glimmer of a Miners’ finals chance alive. The Miners’ fourth-quarter fade almost proved costly when the Blues pushed within two points with 26 seconds to play – after the Miners had started the term 12 points up.

Gregg Thondique was the Miners’ most valuable player at home with 25 points, 10 rebounds and followed this up with 14 points, nine rebounds amid an evenly-shared load in Frankston. The Miners had five players scoring in double-digits and obliterating Frankston in offensive boards.