BRAD Chalmers has labelled the Albury-Wodonga Bandits’ weekend in Melbourne a success, despite a narrow four-point loss to the Dandenong Rangers yesterday afternoon.
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It was always going to be a tough ask to back up from their hard-fought seven-point win over Kilsyth the night before, but the Bandits overcame the early loss of Cory Dixon to foul trouble to put in an admirable performance on the road.
“It was always going to be tough to get a sweep for the weekend, given the quality of the opposition,” the coach said.
“But there were a lot of positives to take out of it, particularly in the Dandenong game.
“I thought we really turned a corner in terms of our defensive efforts, especially considering we were fatigued physically and mentally.”
Deba George had a chance to level the scores with less than 20 seconds on the clock but couldn’t complete the lay-up.
It was one of many opportunities that went begging for the Bandits, who played catch-up for much of the game before dominating the final quarter.
Alex Bogart-King proved to be a valuable substitute after Dixon was fouled out just 14 minutes into the game, scoring 14 points pulling down 12 rebounds.
“It was a real setback losing Cory so early, but to be able to turn to Alex and have him play a role when needed is great for the team,” Chalmers said.
“He’s been patient, playing a few minutes here and there, but we know he can produce when we need him to.
“He certainly gave us a different look and it’s something we’ll be able to keep in mind looking ahead.”
Donte Nicholas scored a game high 23 points and was well supported by George with 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists, but the Bandits were hampered by the absence of Dixon, who was the dominant player on the court with 15 points and six rebounds before half-time.
While Chalmers was happy with the team’s defensive efforts, he said they lacked polish moving the ball in attack, which ultimately proved costly against the Rangers.
“We shot six from 13 free throws and 32 from 78 field goals — we couldn’t hit the side of a barn,” he said.
“I think that’s a by-product of being so focused on the defensive side of the game, but you don’t win games with that kind of percentage.
“Melbourne is a tough trip and we ran out of gas a bit, but I’m really pleased with the results we got.”
The Bandits have a good opportunity to get back on the winner’s list against Brisbane in Albury on Friday night.