A FOURTH-quarter rally from a double-figure deficit snared a stirring three-point win for Melton Thoroughbreds against the Coburg Giants last Saturday.
The Big V Basketball division 2 season started far from perfect for Melton as it fell in a 13-point hole, with a last quarter turnaround giving the Thoroughbreds a 78-75 win.
Melton coach Aaron Christian is one-from-one in his new role and said making some strategic changes on-the-fly was the key.
The Thoroughbreds abandoned a man-on-man defence and gambled on a zone in the final quarter.
Coburg responded by shooting 2-of-13 from the field but Melton stormed the basket on the fast break for a 19-5 final quarter.
‘‘We didn’t want to go to (zone) but we were in a hole and had to try something different,’’ Christian said.
‘‘Our preference is man-on-man because a good shooting side will pick you off.
‘‘Pretty much fast break points was the difference in that final quarter and got us back in the game.’’
Jordan Kirk scored 20 points for Melton, while Shane Moroney scored 15 to go with his 12 rebounds.
Up by a point with 35 seconds left in the game, Peter Leppik hit two free-throws to give Melton its three-point lead, leaving Coburg with one shot to tie the game.
The Giants’ best attempts could only end in a shot from quarter-court.
Christian said Coburg’s inside game had been beating Melton man-on-man in the first three quarters, with a lot of lay-up points for the home team.
But, he said, forcing Coburg to take shots outside the key paid off.
‘‘The intensity was unbelievable, they caught us a bit. We were regimented in the way we warmed up but they (Coburg) were pumped.
‘‘It was good to be able to adapt. The younger guys stepped up. You could tell they were ecstatic at the end of the game.’’
Melton shot 32 from 71 in the field, 3 of 15 from three-point range, won the turn-overs 20-22 but was out-rebounded 35-36
