CHARGERS TRIUMPH:
MOLLER LEADS THE WAY IN THRILLER
NBL champion Craig Moller picked the perfect stage to have a career SEABL night after almost single-handedly dragging Hobart across the line against Ballarat.
With his Melbourne United coach Dean Vickerman an interested onlooker courtside at the Derwent Entertainment Centre, Moller dropped a massive 43 points and pulled in 15 rebounds as the Chargers erased a halftime deficit to in- flict a 95-86 defeat on the Miners.
The hosts were without star shooter Mathiang Muo (calf injury) and forward Cam Brown, and with import Tre Nichols (19 points on 8-24 shooting) struggling from the floor, it was Moller who kept Hobart in touch in the first half.
Ballarat held a six-point lead at the main break, despite having two key players Marvin-King Davis and Josh Fox in foul trouble, and with Peter Hooley (23 points) providing headaches it appeared that not even Moller’s heroics would be enough.
But with BJ Radcliffe clamping down on Miners star David Usher and Zac White (12 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks) protecting the paint, the Chargers slowly clawed their way back before running over the top of the visitors.
“When Tre didn’t have a great one, he got us home,” coach Anthony Stewart said of Moller’s performance.
“That’s why we recruited him and Tre.
“I thought Zac did a really good job stepping up in the last 18 minutes. It was a team effort and a few of the young kids got some minutes.
“The defensive end was where we won it, I think they had 65 points four minutes into the third quarter and for the rest of the game they have scored 20 points.
“The last 18 minutes of basketball was purely defensive guts.”
Radcliffe stepped into the starting line-up in Muo’s absence and scored 10 points, including a couple of crucial long bombs — one in the last quarter — that gave Hobart the breathing space it needed.
Stewart is hopeful Muo will only be sidelined for next week’s clash against Nunawading.
“We were hopeful he will be back next week, but we will probably give him the break and he will be back for the Tigers game,” Stewart said.