With just four rounds left in the South East Australian Basketball League season and about five games off a top eight spot, Ballarat Rush’s focus is on securing another victory rather than finals.
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The team has now had six consecutive losses, with an average score of 66 points per game while giving up an average of 84 points per game.
It is a far cry from an explosive season opener, restricting the fourth-placed Dandenong to just 51 points in round one, and strong performances against Albury-Wodonga and Hobart.
Ballarat Skoda Rush’s offence was a strength at the start of the season, with four to five players reaching double figures every game.
Coach Eric Hayes had been more concerned about a break down in defence, with the players struggling with positioning and movement.
But since a run of bad luck, including an injury to key player Ashleigh Spencer, the axing of import Courtney Williams and a controversial loss to Launceston, Rush has fallen well short of its expectations in both areas.
Hayes put the change in the team’s offensive output down to effective scouting from the opposition, which could now read and understand the players’ games, and the psychological battle that often comes with losses.
But there has been promise, such as a solid first quarter against Sydney Uni and a strong finish against Diamond Valley the past two weeks. Now it is about a sustained four-quarter effort.
It does not get any easier for Rush, which is 13th on the ladder, with three of its final six games against the top three teams – the undefeated Bendigo, Nunawading again and a third-placed Kilsyth.
But Hayes is hoping his team can regain its aggression and belief from the start of the season.
While Hayes is confident at their best, the players can compete with any opposition, Rush’s best chances of a fifth victory are against Canberra (12th) and Hobart (11th).
