IT'S hard to think of any better ways for Rowan Mackenzie to endear himself to both his new Bendigo Braves' team-mates and the club's fan base than his heroics last Sunday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In his fourth game for his new team Mackenzie lived out one of his basketball dreams when he nailed a three-pointer on the buzzer to deliver the Braves' men a stunning 81-79 win on the road against the Casey Cavaliers in the NBL1.
Mackenzie's match-winner capped a remarkable finish for the Braves, who had trailed by five points with just 11 seconds left in the game.
The Braves scored the final seven points of the game in those 11 seconds off, firstly, a three-pointer to Lachlan O'Brien, followed by a free throw to Mackenzie after a Cavaliers' technical foul and then the Mackenzie three on the buzzer.
"It was a pretty lucky shot... it hit the backboard, hit the front of the rim and then came off the backboard again, but the good thing was it killed the two seconds on the clock," Mackenzie said this week.
It was a pretty lucky shot... it hit the backboard, hit the front of the rim and then came off the backboard again, but the good thing was it killed the two seconds on the clock
- Rowan Mackenzie
"If it had have been a swish Casey would have still had a second or so for the last shot, so it was the best way I could have made it by it bouncing around a bit.
"It felt pretty rushed coming out of my hand, but you just need a bit of luck.
"It was my dream as a kid to make a play like that; I remember shooting in the driveway, counting yourself down to make that last shot and then running around celebrating, which is what I did 14 or so years later last week.
"It was unreal and it couldn't have happened for a better bunch of guys. They are a great group of guys to be around.
"At the end of the game we had Lachie (O'Brien) hit a big three and a couple of big stops as well and then a great inbounds pass from Murph (Isaac Murphy) and I was fortunate that I got to take the shot.
"It really was a gritty win from the whole team because it was a game that we never seemed to have any control of."
Mackenzie, from Perth, is one of the new faces on the men's Braves' roster this year and has joined Bendigo following a four-year American stint at Lubbock Christian University in West Texas.
"I got a degree in social work and I loved my time there; it's an awesome university with awesome people and the perfect spot for me where I could focus on basketball, but the community was also really good," Mackenzie said.
"And this feels great playing for Bendigo. It's a great community and is the same colours as my college team.
"My connection to Bendigo is I've played against teams coached by Blacky (Braves coach Steve Black) in the west when I was playing for Lakeside Lightning.
"The way he coaches, his enthusiasm for the game, knowledge and energy was really enticing and I'm also good mates with Mitch Clarke (fellow west Australian Braves player)."
Unlike last season when Bendigo was slow out of the blocks and forced to play catch-up all season, the Braves men are off to a strong 3-1 start in 2024 and about to embark on a three-game home stretch at Red Energy Arena starting on Sunday against the Nunawading Spectres (2-1) from 2pm.
That will be followed next weekend with a Saturday night-Sunday afternoon double-header against Sandringham and Ringwood.
Meanwhile, the defending national champion Bendigo Braves women have picked up from where they left off last season.
The Braves women are 4-0 - their four wins by a combined 116 points - ahead of their home cash against the winless Nunawading (0-3) on Sunday from noon.
