POOR defensive transition and shooting, an ordinary start to the game and a lack of energy combined to leave Ben Harvey a disappointed coach after the Bendigo Bank Braves lost their opening game of the SEABL season against rivals Ballarat on Friday night.
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The Braves were forced to play catch-up all game after conceding an early 12-2 deficit, with the Miners going on to win 85-75 at the Minerdome.
“It’s not the way we wanted to start the season,” Harvey said on Saturday.
“We shot the ball poorly, we had 34 free-throw attempts to their 14, our defensive transition was poor and we just didn’t have any energy. They started really well to lead 12-2 early and we just couldn’t find a way to get back.
“Every time we’d start to work back into it we’d turn the ball over or miss an easy shot.
“There were times through the game we’d have four or five offensive rebounds and then miss every shot.”
New imports Grant Johnson (21 points) and Tony Lewis (18) were the Braves’ leading scorers, but both shot the ball poorly from the field.
Johnson went 4-of-18 and Lewis 6-of-21 for a combined 10-of-39 shooting.
“I thought our offensive sets were rushed a little bit, but our defensive transition was particularly poor and that was probably the difference,” Harvey said.
The Braves will be on the road again next Friday night when they clash with Albury Wodonga.
Meanwhile, the Champions IGA Bendigo Lady Braves made a flying start to their season with a dominant 32-point win over Ballarat.
The Lady Braves won 83-51 in a game they had led by as many as 43 points.
“I thought with the limited preparations we’ve had that our defence was great and our contributions from everybody was also what we wanted,” Lady Braves coach Jonathan Goodman said.
The Lady Braves play Albury Wodonga next Friday.
