The positive would be the stirring comeback that saw the home side level up the game at the final whistle, only to have to taken away in an overtime thriller where its two big men were fouled out.

The negative way would be to focus on the 42-10 run that the visitors had from mid-way through the first quarter until half time.

Head Coach Brendan Joyce prefers to more positive, so let's focus on that to start.

The Miners recovered from 23 points down at half time to force Saturday nights opening match at the new Ballarat Sports and Events Centre to a second successive overtime game.

Struggling all night from the field, the Miners finally broke the shackles in the dying moments of the contest, led by Sam Short who nailed two huge three-pointers in the dying moments to level up the game.

It was William Hickey who broke the game open, a superb last quarter gave his side a chance to steal the contest before Short stepped up.

But the comeback wouldn't have been needed at all had the Miners come to play in the first half.

Early days it looked like being a triumphant start at the new home, when the home side burst out of the blocks to a 13-4 lead.

But whatever the Bendigo coach said to his team at the time out called with 5.17 on the clock in the first quarter worked wonders. The braves injected big man Ray Turner who went on a scoring, rebounding run of 11 points for the term.

A stunning block when Matt Kenyon seemed to be cruising to the basket for an easy lay-up, summed up the last five minutes as the braves took an unlikely 16-15 lead at the first change.

The second quarter for the Miners was in a word lamentable. This time it was Bendigo small man Nelson Larkins who took control as he left the tall Miners defenders flat-footed.

The Miners were held to just eight points for the quarter with Bendigo cruising away to a 23-point lead at the break.

It wasn't a fast comeback from the Miners, it was more a gradual build, reducing the margin to 14 at the last change, but still seemingly well out of contention.

It was Hickey, who would finish with 27 points that lit up the new arena, until Short's late heroics brought the vocal home crowd to its feet late.

At 69-69 at the end of regulation, it appeared the momentum was with the home side, but the unlucky fouling out of Deng Acouth in overtime and recruit Jock Perry, who it must be said had a home debut to forget - shooting just one of seven from the field - meant it was a bridge too far as Bendigo held their nerve for an 85-80 win.

Most worrying for the Miners was the shooting percentage which at one stage sat a horrible 11 per cent (3 from 28) from the three point line until Short's late heroics made it 7 from 35 at games end.

Joyce said he would prefer to look at the comeback rather than the second quarter shambles.

"It was a pretty good fightback from being 23 down at half time," he said.

"I think we were a bit tight for the first game at the new venue as a team, some things didn't go our way.

"They were getting underneath our big's and I guess I'll need to talk to some people about how they defended our big's.

"We settled down at half time, we set our goals, got real aggressive and I really thought we'd beat them once we got it to overtime.

"But Deng and Jock fouling was a very crucial foul out, so it made it difficult.

"We were a bit disjointed, Sam came in with just he one practice, Jock has only had the two, and we looked like that.

"But we have to get those guys involved, there's no point sitting them out."

The Miners are back at home next week when they clash with Frankston.

Like the Miners, Frankston is 2-2 on the season having dropped a clash with North West Tasmania at the weekend.