The Ballarat Community Health Lady Miners finished sixth in their debut season.

Despite defeating Launceston 72-61 in the last home and away round at the Minerdome yesterday, Ballarat could do no better than fifth.

The Lady Miners missed fourth position on head-to-head with Kilsyth after each finished with 15 wins and nine losses.

This is the second time in three seasons that the same two teams have had to be split on their head-to-head record after finishing all square in fourth and fifth positions.

They each had 14 wins and 10 losses in 2006, but on that occasion it was Ballarat which went into the play-offs, and went on to take out the Australian Basketball Association national title.

Frustratingly, right now the Lady Miners are the form team in the women's conference.

In their past six games they have beaten Kilsyth (fourth), Bendigo (second) and third-placed Launceston twice, but all they can now do is sit back and watch the finals.

An uninhibited Lady Miners produced a free rolling performance to run away from the Launceston Tornadoes.

With Kilsyth playing in a game 15 minutes behind Ballarat's encounter, the Lady Miners' season was on the line. Only a win would give them any chance of finals action.

It was high stakes, but Ballarat looked as relaxed as it has been all season.

The Lady Miners looked like they might get away late in the second quarter, but the Crista Hayes and Natalie Hurst-led Tornadoes hit back.

Ballarat continued to make the running in the third quarter.

It finally consolidated a lead early in the last stanza with a 13-2 run, with Kristy Rinaldi appropriately dominating offensively.

Rinaldi produced close to her best effort of the season with 18 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Michelle Mussellwhite rounded out a grand year with 26 points and 10 rebounds, as Ballarat has as few as six scorers.