The Maitland Mustangs have won a thriller by three points running out 85-82 winners after trailing Sutherland Sharks by five with one minute and 30 second left on the clock.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Billy Parsons, who had been in early foul trouble, was injected into the game late shooting five points including a critical three pointer to give Maitland the lead with 21 seconds left.
Will Cranstown-Lowne sealed the win with one of two shots from the free-throw line. It left five second on the clock, but Shark Callum Norris' three-point attempt missed.
The win takes Maitland's record to four wins from four games, to sit on top of the NBL 1 East ladder with Bankstown Bruins who also have a 100 per cent record with three wins from three games.
Maitland had been in control of the match against their 2023 grand final conqueror until a third-quarter fade left them trailing 67-60 at the final break.
Cranstown-Lowne finished with a game-high 25 points and Parsons 20 to lead the scoring for Maitland, with James Hunter shooting 10 to go with his six rebounds and Matt Gray pulling in 12 rebounds and shooting nine points.
Mustangs coach Luke Boyle said Maitland dropped off their defensive intensity in the third term and Sutherland went on a run, but pleasingly they had found a way to win.
"It wasn't our best game, but we stuck in and held out," Boyle said.
"They had a huge third quarter, but we tidied it up in the fourth and found a way to win.
"I think part of it was we had a number of players in foul trouble and I think we went a bit soft defensively because we didn't want to foul and sit out the game
"It hurt quite a bit from a defensive point of view and then it cost us when we try and run on offence, because if you are not getting stops because you are playing soft then all of the game is in the half-court.
"Down five with a minute 30 left and to get up by three was a bloody good effort for us, especially defensively.
"We were down seven in that final quarter and come back and won."
Boyle said Parsons had become and integral and versatile part of the Maitland line-up and was getting reward for his hard work.
"He is the first at training and puts hours of work into his game," he said.
"He has worked very hard and the guys trust him. We sent him in at the end because he offered us something different and provided us with an advantage on court."
Maitland outgunned Canberra last week after opened the season in style smashing Newcastle Falcons and Inner West Bulls
The Mustangs have an an Anzac Day appointment against the Hornsby Ku-rin-gai Spiders at the Maitland Federation Centre on Thursday from 4.30pm, before a tough away clash against Central Coast on Saturday.
Maitland Mustangs women win third in a row
The Maitland Mustangs women ran out 84-74 winners against Sutherland Sharks to collect their third win a row.
The Mustangs are unbeaten since a narrow loss to Newcastle Falcons in round one. The Falcons, Albury Wondonga, Central Coast and Manly are all unbeaten, with the Mustangs sixth equal on three wins and a loss the with fifth-placed Illawarra Hawks.
All five Maitland starters - Sydney Hunter 18, Kohana Natsumi 15, Shakera Reilly 10, Rachel Williams 10 and Hannah Fox 10 - scored in double figures, while Isabella Jennings shot eight and had five rebounds off the bench.
Hunter with 15 rebounds and Fox with 10 had double, double games.
Michael Hartshorn
Since starting in 1985 at the then Melbourne Herald, journalism has taken me around Australia from Victoria, to the Northern Territory, Cairns in Queensland and now Port Stephens. After all those years there is still something special about informing and connecting with readers.
Since starting in 1985 at the then Melbourne Herald, journalism has taken me around Australia from Victoria, to the Northern Territory, Cairns in Queensland and now Port Stephens. After all those years there is still something special about informing and connecting with readers.
