The Bombers (5-0) continued their unbeaten start in the men's A grade competition with a tense 67-61 win over Magic A (2-3) on Saturday.
The boys in green were up against a Magic side decimated by unavailable players, including Sheldon McGuire and Nuggets guard Micah Lepaio.
Last year's champion only just managed to find six players and avoid defaulting to the table-topping Bombers. However, the Magic was valiant in defeat and pushed the streaking Bombers to the brink.
The Bombers had it all their way in the first half. They jumped out to an early 8-0 lead and led by as many as 13 late in the second quarter. Last year's wooden spooners held an 11-point lead at the half and seemed to be doing it comfortably - too comfortably, perhaps.
Down 37-26 at the beginning of the third quarter, the undermanned Magic immediately started making inroads into the deficit. Ben Dick was aggressive inside and scored his side's first 10 points of the half, pulling the Magic to within 42-36 and prompting a Bombers timeout.
After the timeout, the Bombers lacked spark and continued to struggle to find the bottom of the net, allowing the Magic to pull within a point with two minutes left in the quarter, 43-42.
Max Jablonski knocked down a couple of jumpers to put the Bombers 47-42 up, before Magic's Fergus Bevin-McCrimmon made it a one-point game with a nifty floater and a pair of free throws.
Tim Campbell then gave the Magic its first lead of the night with a layup. However, Jablonski had the final say in the quarter, drilling another jumper to give the Bombers a 49-48 lead with a quarter to play.
The Bombers turned to their big men in the final quarter, constantly feeding Jack Stirling and Mike Dawson inside.
The pair helped give their side a slim 59-55 lead with four minutes remaining, but the Magic were not done yet. Dick and Jablonski traded baskets, before Lee Deverux struck from beyond the arc to pull the Magic to within a point, 61-60.
However, the Bombers stiffened defensively and rebuffed the Magic's courageous rally. Jablonski top-scored for the Bombers with 19 points, while Stirling (14 points) and Dawson (13) also scored in double figures.
Both teams turned the ball over 22 times and struggled from three-point range. The Bombers were two from 15 from deep, while the Magic were four from 16. In the other game, Chris Hood drilled a three-pointer with under a second left on the clock as the Falcons (2-3) stunned Varsity A (0-5) 81-78 at the buzzer.
It was the second consecutive week Varsity lost in the final seconds. The St Kilda Saints and Otago Boys' High School game was deferred.
By Robert van Royen.
