How time flies.
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In a year marked by catastrophic bushfires and a global pandemic, the memory of Ballarat's last senior basketball title seems more distant than ever.
Luckily, the recollections are still clear as day.
This year marks the 15 years since the Ballarat Lady Miners overcame the Knox Raiders to win its first South East Australian Basketball League championship.
WATCH MATCH
It also marks the anniversary of the club's 2005 national championship, which it acquired after topping Knox again in the Australian Basketball Association final the same year.
Kym Cassells remembers them well.
As player coach of the Lady Miners during the 2000s, Cassells played through a golden period which saw the club win eight Big V grand finals in as many years.
Entering the SEABL in 2003, it was time to see if the success translated at the highest level.
"In those days the the Big-V was very much below the SEABL in terms of standard," Cassells recalls.
"We weren't favorites for a lot of those titles, so the fact we'd stepped up was daunting in a lot of ways but also exciting.
"I can still remember being told we were stepping up to SEABL and it was amazing."
Success came quickly.
After treading water in their first season, the Lady Miners established themselves in their second by earning a grand final appearance. They fell short, but the blueprint was in place for the following year.
"Knox finished on top in 2005. They had beat us that year and were hosting the final," she said.
"We had a rivalry over a couple of years, we played a lot of close games with them and a rivalry built up."
The Raiders were no easy-beats.
Boasting two Australian Opals players in Katrina Hibbert and Hollie Grima, as well as home ground advantage, it was no surprise that Knox was the favorite going in.
However with players like Karen Ashby and captain Desiree Glaubitz, the Lady Miners had weapons of their own - not to mention a few off the court as well.
"I remember that our fans were louder than theirs," Cassells said.
"We had a bus load come down and they were all very noisy."
It proved advantageous.
After jumping out to a nine-point lead, the visitors set the pace early on before the Raiders pulled back to take the lead in the second quarter.
But the Lady Miners avoided an early onslaught, setting themselves up to go basket for basket for the remainder of the match.
After beating a press inside the final minute, Glaubitz stepped to the free throw line with 15 seconds to play with her side up one. She never looked like missing, laying the platform for a classic road victory.
"The journey into the league had been so quick so It took a while to sink in," Cassells said.
"But it felt like equality."
"The men's Miners had always been there and now so were we."
