The defeat was the Braves second loss in three games and, after a promising start, they now find themselves just inside the top eight.

Shooting woes, poor rebounding and third quarter defensive lapses proved to be decisive for the Braves.

The rebounding statistics will haunt the Braves all week after the Tigers mauled them on the boards.

The Tigers grabbed 57 rebounds to Bendigo’s 37, including 19-7 in the decisive third quarter.

12 offensive rebounds in the third quarter was the catalyst for Melbourne’s 31-16 run.

Offensively, the Braves had one of their worst games of the season.

They shot the ball at just 37.9 per cent, including 6-26 from behind the three-point arc. Even their free throw shooting – 18-28 at 64 per cent – was sub-par.

Braves imports Jeremy Kendle and Ray Turner led the Braves in scoring with 17 points, but they were down on their normal output.

Chris Hogan found his range late to finish with points, including four three-point bombs.

While the Braves’ men faltered, the women continued their dominance with a 85-76 win over the Melbourne Tigers.

The top-of-the-table Braves’ women had six players score nine or more points for the match, while in contrast Bec Cole and Monique Conti scored 51 of the Tigers’ 76 points.

Forward Nadeen Payne made some crucial buckets in the second half on her way to a team-high 23 points.

Maddi Wild played a key role off the bench, scoring 14 points on 6-8 shooting.

Point guard Kelly Wilson had 13 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while Kara Tessari added 12 points.

The Braves men and women are back on home court this Friday night when they host the Basketball Centre of Excellence.