MAYBE, just maybe, the Albury-Wodonga Bandits saved their season on Saturday night.
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Showing all the fighting qualities of a defending champion, the Border club pulled its SEABL campaign back from the brink with an amazing overtime win on the road over the Sandringham Sabres.
With imports Eric Vann and Momo Ntumba, along with Alex Opacic, fouled out by the end of regulation, skipper Nick Payne produced an inspired burst as the Bandits claimed a 111-105 win.
In his 301st game for the club, Payne scored 21 of his 25 points over the final minute of the fourth quarter and the five-minute overtime period to snap a four-game losing streak.
The win puts the Bandits at 2-5 with a home clash against the resurgent Canberra Gunners on Friday night.
Payne said it was one of his more satisfying victories.
“It was fantastic, we played well together for four quarters,” Payne said.
“And then to lose those players before overtime, to pull out a win with four guards and a forward was just fantastic.
“I just wanted to get the ball to guys who were in good positions to score and then, in overtime, it was probably my turn to put my stamp on the game a little and the opportunities were there.
“If we can string a few games together and get around that .500 mark, we can turn this around quite quickly.
“We’re very capable of that. We’re starting to improve and the challenge now is to keep that going.”
The under-fire Vann top-scored with 26 points while Ntumba and Opacic added 22 and 16.
Forward Ben Hollis was forced to play centre for the overtime period and finished with a superb all-around display of 11 points, a game-high 15 boards and four assists.
Coach Brad Chalmers was delighted with the herculean efforts of his under-sized line-up of Hollis, Payne, Michael Watson, Jack Duck and Matt de Koeyer in overtime.
“It was a high-quality game but maybe defensive intensity was just a fraction off for both teams,” Chalmers said.
“Payney was fantastic and Ben and Watto played their roles really well — it was a good solid effort.
“The teammates who fouled out, as much as they all played well, they probably owe those players a fair bit for getting them over the line.”
Chalmers said the Bandits had been nowhere near their best this season.
But the reigning coach of the year said Saturday night’s win could yet prove to be a catalyst for greater things.
“We haven’t had an easy run and, I said after the opening loss to Dandenong that we could be 2-5,” Chalmers said.
“That’s where we’ve ended up and, realistically, we haven’t played well.
“We’re probably one win away from where we should be. We just got a little bit of belief back.
“Some continuity from playing together can make all the difference.”