IT wasn't quite the fairytale Kristy Rinaldi or the Miners women would have hoped for, losing two close games over the weekend, but for Ballarat's basketball legend, after 20 years, she knew it was time to go.
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For Rinaldi, it will be game 352 and out next Saturday night when the Miners travel to Bendigo. But Sunday offered a chance to for her adoring home crowd to pay tribute one last time.
Rinaldi hit 12 points and brought home a team-high 10 rebounds in the 88-81 loss to Diamond Valley, in a game, that looked deep into the last quarter as being a memorable one for the home side with the Miners briefly taking the lead in the shadows of the post.
The result was secondary though to the emotion that flowed freely after the game.
Coach Rob Baker led the tributes to the club legend.
"She means everything to us," Baker said holding back tears. "She's the ultimate leader, there's not one person that has gone through the female program that has not been impacted by her for the past 20 years.
"A lot of people come and go, Kristy has been here and been involved all the way. When you think of Ballarat basketball, you think of two names, Eric Hayes and Kristy Rinaldi."
"It shows how important she is to the whole Ballarat community, there's not one person anywhere that doesn't think the world of her, there's not one coach she's had that does not think the world of her. She's as tough as they come."
The team went into the weekend without import Tayanna Jones and in truth who tweaked a groin muscle during the week. And in truth, it probably cost them two wins, particularly on Saturday night when the Miners just fell to Geelong United.
In Rinaldi's 350th appearance for the club, the Miners nearly pulled off one of the upsets of the season, going down by just five points 84-79.
The Miners went into the contest with just six players. But despite the low numbers, somehow they made it work. Abbey Wehrung and Emma Karamovic got into a great rhythm together and combined for 57 of the Miners 79 points.
Trailing by 11 at the last change, the Miners found a new gear in the last quarter, reducing the margin to just three points with 17 seconds remaining, but they were unable to get the job done, going down narrowly.
Karamovic has been a revelation in the final six weeks of the season, back to full fitness, she has giving the team presence which wasn't there in the first half of the season.
The Miners face rivals Bendigo to complete the season. Remarkably in what is such an even competition, the Braves have are unbeaten at 20-0. Wouldn't the Miners love to play spolier to send out Rinaldi in style.
SCOREBOARDS
Saturday - Ballarat Miners 79 (A Wehrung 32, E Karamovic 25) def by Geelong United 84 (C Horvat 26, S Elsworthy 20)
Sunday - Ballarat Miners 81 (A Wehrung 32, E Karamovic 20) def by Diamond Valley 88 (J Compton 26, J Rintala 22)
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