After showing promise against Orange last week, the Dubbo Senior College boys basketball team scored an eye-catching 50-42 victory over Bathurst High School in the Astley Cup on Wednesday.
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The result at the Bathurst Indoor Stadium worked out to a Cup points split of 54-46 in Dubbo's favour, helping them claw back further ground after Bathurst crushed them in the tennis before Dubbo hit back with a win in the netball.
At one point early in the third term, the margin was out to 15 points in Dubbo's favour and a real blow-out was looming, before a rally from the hosts saw them get to within four points at one stage in the final quarter.
With more than a minute still on the clock there was every chance that they could have even pulled off a miraculous come-from-behind win, but a couple of missed shots and some steady play from Dubbo closed out the match.
"It got a lot closer than we wanted it to, we lost our heads a little bit there in the second half and Bathurst started to get a roll-on and really shot well for a while there," Dubbo coach Ben Madigan said.
"Once we calmed things down a bit in the last couple of minutes we worked our way back on top again. Basketball is a game of runs, we got on one in the first half, Bathurst got on one in the second.
"Nick Conte was by far our best but Luke Gale was also very good, so was Jarrod White."
Initially the contest was evenly matched and there wasn't much between the sides as Dubbo went to quarter-time with a 15-10 lead.
They clearly started to gain the ascendency in the second and but for some timely baskets approaching the main break, Bathurst deficit could have been a bit worse than the 31-19 scoreline they were staring at.
Dubbo pressed hard to break the resistance of the home team but with a vocal crowd getting behind them, Bathurst started to gain the upper hand and began chipping away at the margin.
By three-quarter-time, it was down to nine points.
Dubbo were strong enough to earn the win, though, and take some more ground off their rival school.
"I'm very proud of my team, they've improved with every game they've played this year and that's all I can ask. There are boys that started in this team in Year 7, they're now in Year 12 and about to leave, it is a bit sad in a way," Bathurst High coach Katrina Ferris said.
"They stayed focused into the second half which is what I asked of them, they worked their way back into it and clawed back a lot of ground which is vital in the context of the overall score."
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
