FOR Jazz Ferguson, this was a victory that was oh, so sweet.

The Bendigo Braves dynamo provided the starring role in a successful return to the Lauren Jackson Sports Centre on Saturday night.

Ferguson, who controversially crossed to the Braves in the SEABL off-season after leading the Albury-Wodonga Bandits to a dramatic double of conference and league championships, top-scored with 26 points as the visitors won an intense affair 64-57.

And the Louisville native enjoyed every second of it.

“I was fired up for this, just knowing that, playing here last year, I knew this is probably the toughest place to play in the league,” Ferguson said.

“For us to win here, to get back to 3-3, is very pleasing and to know that we ground out a really physical, playoff type game and those are the sort of games you definitely don’t want to lose.”

Receiving a smattering of boos amid polite applause when he was introduced before the game, Ferguson said he understood why some Bandits fans were still upset with his decision to leave.

“For the most part I thought it was a really good welcoming,” Ferguson said.

“People cheered and I appreciated that; for the fans who booed, I understand where they are coming from as well.

“It was just great to be back here, I was a little nervous coming into the game and I wanted to play well.”

A fascinating sub-plot to Ferguson’s return was his match-up with his putative replacement, Bandits guard Eric Vann.

Much had already been said about the two players’ respective talents, suffice to say Ferguson won their first encounter handily, with Vann scoring just eight points on a dismal 4-24 shooting night.

Matters also got decidedly chippy between the two, with the referees cautioning both players to tone down some physical, off-the-ball action.

Not that Ferguson seemed to mind.

“One of the things that teams try to do — with my frame being so small — they want to be physical with me,” Ferguson said.

“I knew that it was going to be really physical for me, even if it wasn’t for everyone else.

“The match-up with Eric, there’s been a lot of comparisons and I took the match-up personally.

“If he’s any kind of competitor I’m sure he did as well.”