Bruins Return Home:
After many weeks on the road, the Bankstown Bruins men’s team returned to Bankstown Basketball Stadium and defeated the Maitland Mustangs 130 -102 on Saturday afternoon to increase their chances of making the NBL One East finals.
Fast Start For Bruins:
Dominique Keys won the jump ball for the Bruins, with Charlie McBeath opening the scoring by slotting a two-point layup. Jaylin Galloway amazed the crowd by dunking a two-point shot, energising the home crowd in the opening minutes of the game. The Mustangs had their opportunities to start the game well, but kept missing shots from key players such as Christian Little, James Hunter, among others.
After missing many shots, the Mustangs sneaked in a two-point turnaround jump shot with Mandrell Worthy scoring to get the Mustangs rolling. However, the Bruins’ defensive pressure didn’t allow them to gain the lead, with the Bruins finishing the first quarter 38-24. Both teams turned the ball over multiple times, and indiscipline from players led to personal fouls drawn.
Three–Pointer Blitz Ignites the Crowd:
Jason Cadee, Charlie McBeath, Jaylin Galloway, and Hayden Blankley treated the crowd by shooting three-pointers in the opening term, but the Mustangs couldn’t pass through the strong Bruins’ defence to score a three-point shot. Jaylin Galloway slotted a two-point turnaround jump shot to give the Bruins a strong start in the second quarter. The Bruins’ turnovers continued to gift the Mustangs opportunities on the scoreboard, but the Mustangs were sloppy as well, also turning the ball over.
The Mustangs gained momentum with a couple of free throws awarded off the back of fouls made by Bruins players, and Majak Boc scored a two-point turnaround jump shot for the Mustangs, reducing the Bruins’ lead to just ten points. But Cadee’s brilliance increased the Bruins’ lead with a three-point jump shot flying through the hoop.
A lack of defence by both teams allowed for easy shots to get through the hoop, but the highlight of the second quarter was Cadee scoring two three-point jump shots in less than a minute, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers. Christian Little scored the last shot of the quarter to give the Mustangs a glimmer of hope heading into halftime.
Mustangs Begin to Fight Back:
The third quarter saw Jaylin Galloway start the quarter nicely, slotting a two-point jump shot, followed by a three-point jump shot, but the Mustangs started rolling with Christian Little scoring a two-point layup from a turnover made by Cadee, boosting their confidence.
The Bruins increased their margin from free throw shots gifted by the Mustangs players’ costly errors. The Bruins maintained steady defensive pressure, blocking and challenging the Mustangs ‘ offence and Cadee’s three-pointer frenzy continued. The Mustangs, late in the quarter, slotted two free throws and increased their margin. Jesse Edwards scored two free throw shots on the edge of the third quarter.
The last quarter saw the Mustangs begin the quarter with consistency, with Daniel Milburn scoring a two-point layup for the Mustangs, followed by a three-point jump shot. Milburn continued his great run by scoring two free throws, closing on the Bruins’ solid lead. Edwards scored a three-point jump shot to make a comeback for the Mustangs a challenge.
Milburn again made a comeback possible by scoring two free throws, adding points on the scoreboard. Hayden Blankley turned the ball with Milburn stealing the ball, but was lucky as Billy Parsons missed a two-point jump shot for the Mustangs. With six minutes remaining in the game, the Mustangs made a costly error by Luka Vea turning the ball over, leading to Cadee scoring a two-point layup, making the score 107-82.
Isaac Testoni gave one last roll of the dice by shooting a three-point jump shot, making the score 121-98 with one minute and thirty-three seconds remaining. Charlie McBeath wrapped up the game, shooting a three-point jump shot, but in the end, the Bruins proved too dominant in front of their home crowd.
Insights from CEO Christian Gobolos:
The CEO of the Bankstown Bruins, Christian Gobolos, was pleased, the team returned to play at home again. “Its fantastic like you know its been a bit of a hard slog being on he road for the guys and the girls particularly the guys, the girls have been doing really really well but its nice to be able to have them back here in their home court and obviously playing really really well so really pleased to see them back,” Gobolos highlighted.
Gobolos said that the men’s team have had a tough draw and been away from home and are pushing for a spot in the top eight. He pointed out that they’ve been slogging it out and brought up the Round 10 narrow loss the Bruins had against the Illawarra Hawks, but he thinks they gained confidence from that game.
With three rounds to go and the Bruins sit in 10th position on the NBL East ladder and are on the edge of making the top eight to make the finals.
Gobolos said he is confident the Bruins can make the finals, but emphasised that it’s a tough league. “I’d like to think so, but look, the league is extremely tough and there are a lot of teams vying for the top eight. I’d love to say yes, we can potentially be competing, but at the end of the day, I guess we have to rely on results, and we have to continue to win, so if we can do that, give ourselves the best chance. But at the end of the day, the league is extremely hard but also very tight, “Gobolos said.
Next Home Game Details:
The Bruins now face the Penrith Panthers on Saturday, July 5, at Bankstown Basketball Stadium, with the men clashing at 7.30 PM.
