It's been a disjointed start to the NBL1 South season for the Ballarat Miners men, and although they sit with a strong 4-2 record, it's hard to get a real gauge on just where they are in the grand scheme of this season's competition.
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While the Miners have played six matches, this week's opponent Keilor has played eight, boasting a 5-3 record. Already, there are some clubs in the competition who have played nine games, so finding the true form is a hard one to manage early in the season.
Last weekend the Miners went 1-1 on the road in Tasmania, losing a second close contest at the death, before picking up important points against Hobart on the Saturday night.
This week's opponent Keilor goes into their home match with an impressive 5-3 record and off the back of two wins last week, impressively knocking off Mount Gambier on the road on Friday night before returning home for a six-point win over the Waverley Falcons.
In that contest with the Falcons, it was the first quarter that got the job done for the Falcons, slamming home 35 points to take a 12-point lead. The teams then traded baskets throughout the game with Waverley closing in at times, but unable to get across the line, the Thunder winning 107-101 in a high-quality encounter.
From the stats in that contest, it was clear that a three-pronged attack led the charge for the home side. Kuany Kuany led the way with 31 points while Jalen Gibbs 27 and Kyle Zunic, 25. All three shot at or above 50 per cent from the field, showing the Miners will need to be on their defensive game to pull off a victory here.
While the men seem to be in a strong enough position with a number of games up their sleeve, the Miners women need to get motoring. A 2-4 record doesn't really speak to the quality of the side that has been on the court so far this season.
Last week it was the offence that fell apart with the team failing to score 70 points in either game. The team, led by Chloe Bibby, Abbey Wehrung, Alex Bunton and Micah Simpson hasn't quite clicked into gear as yet, but you feel it's only a matter of time before the wins start to pile up.
Keilor this weekend will be a massive challenge, given that they sit on top of the ladder with a 7-1 record.
Last weekend's 79-65 win over Waverley was professional from the outset with the Thunder opening up a solid lead at the first change, before rattling home in the last quarter with a 19-8 term to put the gap between the sides.
Standing out in that performance was the even contribution across the court. Isabella Bourne led the way with 19 points, while big Penina Davidson had 16 points and 12 boards. Lily Carmody hit 16 while Maddison Rocci scored 13 as the Thunder kept finding options to get the job done.
The Miners women's clash with Keilor tips off at 6pm with the men's clash from 8pm, at Keilor Stadium.
