The Rollers will look to finish the Paralympics on a high in the early hours of Saturday morning against the Netherlands.
Although their Paris campaign hasn’t unfolded how they hoped, the Aussies are determined to beat the team they lost to in the opening pool game, 66-55 last Friday, in a clash that will decide fifth and sixth seedings.
Rollers coach Brad Ness said his team is upbeat and determined to finish on a winning note.
“It’s a tough tournament and we paid the price for a slow start but we haven’t dropped the bundle, that’s for sure,” he said.
“If anything, it’s galvanised the group and they’re up for it. We’re 100 per cent locked in.”
“When we lost that Quarter Final, back in the changerooms I reckon everyone was flat for about 15 minutes and then it was like ‘Nah, we’re not going to win the next game and finish fifth, better than we did at the World Cup.’
Ness said the Australia’s best basketball showed they were up to the task.
“Especially the way we took it up to the USA and Great Britain, who are clearly the best teams here. Our game against the US, we lost by 7 and that was the closest game in our pool.
“The come-from-behind victory against Spain was unreal and I was really proud of the group.”
One of the shining lights of the tournament has been the breakout performance of debutant, 19-year-old Jaylen Brown.
The Warrnambool-product’s best performance came against Spain where he sunk 22 points.
Brown and 18-year-old Eithen Leard are two of the four players, from the eight countries competing in Paris, who are eligible for next year’s IWBF Under-23 World Championship.
“Wheelchair basketballers from other countries are sitting courtside and waiting to see what Jaylen does next,” Ness explained.
“On Wednesday night, the stadium was full, 14-15,000 people and every time he gets the ball the crowd lights up in anticipation.
“He’s given us a spark and subbing him in has changed the course of the game, he’s forced me to put him in in big time situations.
“Hopefully all of Australia can tune in and support us because we’re watching the future with this team.”
The Rollers take on the Netherlands at 3.15am Saturday morning, AEST.
