BENDIGO Braves coach Ben Harvey has challenged his players to back up their impressive performance against Mount Gambier when they play two games this weekend.
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The Braves (5-6) head to Geelong on Saturday for a clash against the slick Supercats, before a Sunday game at Bendigo Stadium against a tough Nunawading Spectres.
Bendigo has suffered a defeat to both sides this season.
The Braves fell 90-79 to the Spectres in Nunawading in round four, with Simon Conn causing most damage with 28 points and 13 rebounds.
A week earlier the Braves lost 74-63 to Geelong in Bendigo, with Nick Herbert leading the charge on 24 points.
Herbert was in equally impressive last weekend in a 24 point win over Frankston, scoring 34 points.
While American import Dyami Starks was the star with 32 points last week against Mount Gambier, Harvey said the win over the Pioneers was built around a team effort with players sharing the load.
"If we do that each week, everyone playing a role, we'll get a victory most of the time," he said.
"I think that win is a turning point for our club, but obviously we need to build on that, we can't just look at last week and think it's going to happen again.
"We have to make that happen again."
C.J. Aiken (23 points, 14 rebounds) and Adam Doyle (14 points, five assists) kept the scoreboard ticking against the Pioneers.
But it was the efforts of some unheralded Braves, including Jake Cowling, which impressed Harvey.
"I'm really proud of the way Jake Cowling has performed, he;s averaging 15 and a half minutes a game, last year he averaged nine and the year before it was about one minute," he said.
"He gives us plenty of energy off the bench and plays 100 per cent.
"And guys like Daniel Hansen, he didn't have his greatest game on the weekend, but he's done a similar thing and made an impact off the bench and that's what we are looking for."
