Wagga Heat have stamped their championship credentials after edging competition heavyweights Bankstown by two points at Bolton Park Sports Stadium on Saturday night.
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US import Connell Crossland produced a second-half masterclass in front of a healthy home crowd, sinking 23 points across the third and fourth quarters including the match-winning bucket with two seconds on the clock.
The match looked Wagga’s for the taking after leading 22-11 at quarter time but the reigning premiers had other ideas, clawing the margin back to two points at the main break.
Bankstown sought to take full advantage of Zac Maloney’s absence in the third quarter after the Heat skipper was substituted.
It was Crossland who stepped up to the plate and kept Wagga’s scoreboard ticking over, notching 15 points in a dominant third-quarter effort to maintain a six-point buffer over the Bruins.
The game was suddenly up for grabs in a heart-stopping fourth quarter as Bankstown star Gregory Barnes reeled the Blaze in to within a point before Crossland eased the pressure with a pair of free throws.
Bruins top-scorer Fletcher Mullen sent chills through the Wagga faithful after sinking two buckets and a late free throw to hand Bankstown a one-point lead with 90 seconds to play.
A late foul then handed Wagga the chance to edge ahead again and Joel McPherson duly converted for a 60-59 lead before Bankstown were gifted a free throw with eight seconds on the clock.
Brett Forster converted for the Bruins to tie the score up at 60-60 but the fairytale wasn’t over for Crossland, who rose to the occasion with a late match-winner that sent the crowd into raptures.
Maloney was pleased to get the result but raised concern with his side’s complacency after quarter time.
A win’s a win ... but we played pretty terribly at times and we’re lucky Connell bailed us out in the end.
- Blaze skipper Zac Maloney
“We started off really well and blew them out of the gates to get up by a bit and then got complacent again,” Maloney said.
“I think it’s something we struggle with and we can’t seem to hold a lead.”
The win nevertheless puts Wagga in a strong position and Maloney is hoping to secure a home final.
“It definitely puts us in a good position and we really just need to look at Canberra and Queanbeyan now,” Maloney said.
“We get to control our destiny this year and getting a home final would be really big for us.”
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