Basketball
5 August, 2024
Bibby, Miners' women fall short against Keilor in their preliminary final
Miners' Chloe Bibby held strong with 29 points for the game.
The Miners' women have lost their chance at the NBL1 South championship, no match for Keilor in a 96-75 in the preliminary final.
While Chloe Bibby kept her cool despite Keilor's thundering crowd with 29 points, she was a lone-hand as the Miners struggled with the shooting all night.
Star import Mehryn Kraker hit 19 for the game, but it wasn't enough to get the win.
Keilor opened up an eight-point lead in the second quarter, but Ballarat brought the difference back to five at half time after a late three-point shot from Abbey Wehrung.
The Thunder began to take control in the third quarter.
With just under half of the match left to play, Keilor had already reached 18 assists, which was their end-of- game average for the season.
There was a touch of Tall Fern on the court this evening - Miners' coach Kennedy Kereama previously coached the New Zealand national team and Keilor's Penina Davidson is a former player.
Davidson scored 35 points against the Miners' in the team's previous meeting, but was held to 19 this time, however teammates Maddison Rocci, Isabelle Bourne and Tera Reed all scored more than 20.
In a final push towards the championship game the Miners' brought the difference back to nine in the last quarter, but ran out of steam in the final moments.
SCOREBOARD
Ballarat Miners 75 (C Bibby 29, M Kraker 19) def by Keilor Thunder 96 (I Bourne 24, M Rocci and T reed 20)