THE return of Daniel Sepokas and an electrifying performance from Lamar Mallory sparked the Albury-Wodonga Bandits to an 85-76 win over Canberra on Saturday night.
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The Bandits were off to a hot start, scoring the first 14 points of the game thanks to two dunks and a triple from Mallory, but had to dig themselves out of a hole in the fourth quarter after the Gunners surged back in the second half.
The home side were up by as much as seven points mid-way through the final quarter, before Sepokas and Mallory sparked a comeback.
An impressive 10-0 run to close out the game handed the Bandits their fourth win of the season and ended a four-game losing streak.
Mallory top scored with 24 points, along with 11 rebounds and three assists, while Rashad Hassan bounced back from a poor shooting night last weekend with 17 points on 57 per cent shooting.
It’ll take some time for Sepokas to return to match fitness after missing the first third of the season, but his nine points and three assists are a promising sign from the sharpshooter.
Tevin Jackson (13-6-3) and Deba George (14-4-4) also contributed, while Jack Duck (8 points, two assists, two steals) played a strong first half before being ejected in the second.
In a bizarre turn, eleven technical fouls were issued throughout the game.
If we can sharpen up a few things, we've got the ability to score as well as any team in the league.
- Brad Chalmers
Coach Brad Chalmers said after a tough few weeks, it was important for the Bandits to get back on the board.
“Overall I'm pretty happy, we started well, for the most part we controlled the game, our energy and enthusiasm was there,” he said.
“We had moments where we were unable to contain runs from the opposition, which is probably an area of weakness.
“We know that, we just have to keep chipping away and improving on it.
“I'm proud of them though, they regrouped and controlled the game really well.”
The Bandits shot 40 per cent from the field, an improvement over the last couple of weeks, but still below average.
George and Jackson both shot combined for just 8-28 shooting, with the former missing all four of his three-point attempts, an uncharacteristic figure from the usually deadly shooter.
Chalmers said those two would simply have to work through the slump, adding that he believes Hassan is still working towards his best.
“Rashad is one, Deba is another where sometimes you just get into a rut with form,” he said.
“It's just one of those things, you have to keep pushing, keep being aggressive, stay within the team structure and the game will come to you.
“If we can sharpen a few things up, we've got the ability to score as well as any team in the league.”
The Bandits will return to Albury next weekend for a big clash against Geelong on Saturday night.