THE Albury-Wodonga Bandits have put the rest of the SEABL on notice with a physical, emotion-charged 85-74 triumph over East conference ladder-leaders Geelong Supercats on Saturday night.

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In front of 1023 raucous fans at the Lauren Jackson Sports Centre, the Bandits paid tribute to club icon Allen McCowan in the best possible way, stifling the visitors in the final quarter to keep their unbeaten home record intact.

The win moved the Bandits to within a half-game of top spot and crucially, secured the head-to-head advantage over Geelong, should the teams require a playoff tie-breaker.

From the opening tip, the game lived up to the expectation of a top-versus-second contest, with neither team willing to cede an inch of floor space.

In a game that featured six lead changes and another six score ties, the Bandits would only shake off the gritty Supercats in the final minutes as the Border outfit’s big artillery finally proved too much.

Bandits star Cory Dixon was again a rock in the middle, tallying another double-double of 23 points and 11 rebounds despite a mixed night at the free throw line.

Guards Deba George and Daniel Sepokas added 22 and 15 points respectively, George nailing four of his five attempts from international waters.

And after a rough month, forward Clay McMath bounced back with 12 points and eight boards, helping restrict Geelong’s US pivot Eric Gaff to just four points and one rebound.

For the Supercats, import Kimmani Barrett top-scored with 23 points but only the ever-reliable Nathan Herbert, with 20 points, provided much in the way of offensive assistance.

Former Bandits guard Jack Duck, in his first game back on the Border since crossing to Geelong, was held scoreless in 11 minutes of playing time.

Bandits coach Brad Chalmers was clearly pleased with the way his players responded to the disappointing road defeat to Brisbane in round eight.

“It was good, we played really well,” Chalmers said.

“We had a little patch late in the second quarter where we got a bit stagnant but really pleased we got a defensive energy about us in the second half.

“It was back to where I expect us to be, I’m just really happy, the players busted hard and it was a fantastic team effort.”

It was just the second home win over the Supercats in the past 12 years and Chalmers admitted he had wondered whether his players had the same belief in themselves that he did.

With the always-challenging Tasmanian road double next weekend, Chalmers said he still expected further improvement, particularly defensively.

“It’s about us playing the type of basketball we know we should be able to play,” Chalmers said.

“It was something I’d been talking about but I’m not sure the players really collectively had figured out they could do that.

“Now it’s about keeping the consistency there.

“It’s there, I know it is, we’re probably still better than that again, if we can get our defence right, the game becomes so much easier for us.”

Bandits 24 19 20 22 (85)

Supercats 19 26 13 16 (74)

Crowd: 1023 at the Lauren Jackson Sports Centre

ALBURY-WODONGA BANDITS

Leading scorers: Deba George 22, Cory Dixon 23, Daniel Sepokas 15

Leading rebounders: Cory Dixon 11, Clay McMath 8, Michael Watson 7

Leading assists: Deba George 3