Faced with travelling to Bathurst to take on the ladder-leading Goldminers with just four regular contributors and three development players, the short-handed Blaze found themselves in a David versus Goliath situation.

But the scrappy Blaze lost by just eight points, stunning Bathurst by hanging with them all game. 

The contest lay in stark contrast with Wagga’s last clash with the Goldminers, who spanked a healthy Blaze squad by 25-points at home earlier this season.

Brooke Walsh led the way on the offensive end, finding her groove en-route to a game-high 24 points.

But it was the defensive side of the floor which eventually brought about the Blaze’s downfall. 

Coach Peter O’Leary had implemented an extended zone and it was largely effective in limiting the Bathurst guards’ ability to drive to the basket.

But with the Blaze defenders densely packed into the paint, they eventually had a tough time limiting the Goldminers three-point shooting as the ladders-leaders began hitting from deep.

O’Leary said his team’s near-loss in the face of adversity was a remarkable way to finish the season.

“It was an outstanding effort,” O’Leary said.

“I thought we did a great job considering the limited numbers we had to work with.”

The young Blaze were ruled out of playoff contention two weeks ago, following back-to-back losses to Maitland and Coffs Harbour.