The Maitland Mustangs overpowered the Bankstown Bruins on the road at Bankstown Basketball Stadium on Saturday night, winning 104-78.
The Mustangs won the jumpball and opened the scoring by slotting the first shot for the night with Renye Smith shooting a two-point jump ball shot. Jason Cadee gave his side some momentum by sinking shots early, but the first quarter saw many turnovers from both sides, including a turnover from Bruins star Zeke Evans, which resulted in Mustangs player Billy Parsons slotting a three-point shot late in the first quarter.
The two teams played an aggressive style of basketball with end-to-end non-stop action. It was a tight tussle to start the match, but both teams were missing opportunities to nail shots in.
Early in the second quarter, Cadee helped the Bruins extend a narrow lead by slotting a three-point jump shot and delivered a solid second-quarter performance. Reyne Smith played well, helping his Mustangs challenge the Bruins. However, turnovers continued to hurt both sides, including the Bruins, with Cadee turning the ball over on the edge of halftime to gift Mustangs player Daniel Milburn a two-point layup.
A momentum swing late in the second half saw the Mustangs nail shots, including a two-point dunk by Billy Parsons with the Bruins challenged defensively, allowing the visitors to take a narrow lead into halftime.
The Mustangs’ late surge continued in the third quarter with Reyne Smith sinking a three-point pull-up jump shot, extending their lead over Bankstown. But seconds later, Cadee tightened the margin, draining a three-point jump shot. The Bruins’ missing easy shots showcased the Mustangs’ strong defensive pressure.
Star player Anthony Mudine played well in the third quarter, sinking multiple shots, including from the three-point line. Alexander Higgins-Titsha’s two-point dunk narrowed the margin. A late surge by the Bruins saw them score a few shots with the Mustangs missing opportunities to extend their lead on the edge of the third quarter.
The Mustangs’ dominance in the last quarter was shown when Majak Boc nailed a two-point alley-oop and pressed the Bruins, causing them to fumble the ball and commit fouls. Inconsistent shooting hurt the Bruins from sinking shots and trying to take the lead from the Mustangs. It was quick end-to-end scoring by the Mustangs, challenging the Bruins’ defence. Isaac Testoni beat the full-time buzzer and slotted a two-point shot to add the cherry on top for the Mustangs.
At the end, the Mustangs’ late surge and strong offensive and defensive pressure challenged the Bruins, who couldn’t take the win. Their attention now shifts to licking their wounds and attempting to beat Manly Warringah Sea Eagles at Bankstown Basketball Stadium next week.
While Bruins CEO Christian Gobolos wanted his Bruins to get the win, he gave full credit to the Mustangs on their solid performance.
“Credit to their players, they shut the lights out tonight, and really, we didn’t have an answer for it. So in a lot of ways, credit to Maitland, the guys played exceptionally well, they deserve their win, and I guess the guys will go back on Tuesday to regroup, and we’ve got next week to go.” Gobolos emphasised.
Gobolos said that the team played well through to the end, but it wasn’t enough, and the loss occurred, pointing out it was because of the Mustangs defensive pressure.
“I think it was. It had to do with their pressure. We started to take some shots that we just weren’t accustomed to, and what we would normally do, so I think again that’s a credit to Maitland for taking us out of our comfort zone, and the fact is they forced us into some difficult shots,” Gobolos said.
The Mustangs development player Cooper Crowe was happy with his team’s strong win over the Bruins.
“It was a good win, you know. Boys worked hard, and all the way older boys set a good example for young players like me to come on and just do my job and get the job done.” Crowe highlighted.
Crowe said moving to next week, the team needs to communicate with each other and keep good energy, which helps them play their best. “Just stay composed and just do our thing, don’t worry about anything else, and just worry about our game,” he said.
The next Bruins home game is on 10 May at Bankstown Basketball Stadium.
