THE Lady Bandits needed just one more minute – even thirty seconds.
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Two more possessions and they might have pulled off one of the more miraculous wins in recent memory.
Facing the Canberra Capitals Academy, a poor third quarter left them trailing by 18 at the final break.
A lesser team might have buckled, but the Lady Bandits rallied.
They dominated the last 10 minutes, scoring 19 points to five, but it wasn't quite enough to get them over the line, falling 71-67.
Both teams missed shots to start the final quarter, but when Charlotte Beavan and Molly Rice hit back to back triples, the Lady Bandits had a sniff.
Casey Ardern, Kristi Mokube and Emilee Harmon all added big buckets of their own during the run, while the team combined to force a number of turnovers and stops from the Capitals.
Harmon led the way with 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Mokube was instrumental in the fourth quarter as well to finish with 15 points.
Molly Rice also chipped in with 10 points and seven boards.
The team captain said while she was pleased with the comeback, it was ultimately a frustrating loss due to a poor third quarter.
“As a team we all fought hard, we really wanted that win,” Rice said.
“Not only for us girls, but for the coaching staff as well, that was really important for us so it was a bit hard to swallow.
“We've only had the four wins for the season, we thought this was a game we could get, so we regrouped in that fourth quarter after an average third quarter.”
Rice said timely buckets from Beavan and Casey Ardern helped fuel the comeback.
“Those young ones have been training hard all season, it's great for them to get some court time,” she said.
“Charlotte stepped up, hit that big three which is exciting for her, she played some solid defence as well.
“Unfortunately we just couldn't get over the line.”
The loss was compounded by the loss of Emma Mahady, who came from the court late in the third quarter with an apparent ankle injury.
The point guard missed nearly two months of the season with a fractured ankle, and returned to action two weeks ago.
It's unknown if the most recent injury is a recurrence.
The Lady Bandits will now prepare for their final game of the season, where they host the Kilsyth Lady Cobras.
The Lady Cobras are second on the ladder with 14 victories.