Down by 19 points with just four and a half minutes left, Warrnambool Mermaids coach Louise Brown demanded one last thing of her side in their final time-out.
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Whatever happened, they couldn't lose their eighth game of the season by more than 10 points against the Southern Peninsula Sharks.
And while the Mermaids still went home with a zero next to their wins column following a 76-68 loss, Brown was deeply satisfied by the fight and grit shown by the developing side in the Big V's premier competition.
"I told the girls to show some pride and not let the game blow out," she said.
"It was still frustrating to lose but we played a much better brand of basketball.
"Defensively we put more pressure on the court and took more risks by double-teaming the ball to create turnovers.
"We made them take more difficult shots at the end while getting points on the board ourselves."
Warrnambool's Amy Wormald starred with 24 points, 12 rebounds and four assists.
But Brown was also pleased with Abbey Sutherland, who finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, and Leah Bartlett.
"Leah is a really 'coachable' kid who listens to everything I say and is really maturing as a player," Brown said.
"We expect a lot from her and I have to remind myself she's only a teenager."
Brown said maintaining a strong defence was the key to earning their first win of the season as the Mermaids struggled offensively - this week's score of 68 points was the highest of the season.
But with the eighth-placed Whittlesea Pacers at home on Saturday, there is a golden opportunity around the corner.
"We're halfway through the season next week so a win over the Pacers would just give the girls some confidence and great reward for all their hard work," Brown said.
Meanwhile, the Seahawks went through the highs and lows of basketball to break even in a double-header.
American import Xavier Johnson-Blount put Warrnambool one point up against the second-placed Keysborough Cougars with less than a minute left.
And after Simon O'Keefe won a rebound at the other end, the Seahawks were good enough to run out the clock for a thrilling 77-76 victory.
Johnson-Blount finished with 30 points, six rebounds and five assists, while captain Alex Gynes recorded 22 points, three rebounds and two assists.
But Seahawks coach Tim Gainey said it was a team win and highlighted Oliver Bidmade and Liam Osborne's important shots at the death.
Warrnambool then suffered a 91-81 defeat to eighth-placed Bellarine Storm while playing without Josh Dean, who went down with another hamstring injury in the first game.
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