WNBL 2014/15: Round 10 Wrap
Capitals take down Lightning to extend losing streak to 9
Canberra extended the Lightning's run of losses to nine games with a slender three point victory.
Adelaide held a six point lead at half-time, even after Abby Bishop scored 21 to begin the game, however the Capitals could only managed to shoot 36% for the half. Lauren Jackson made big plays in her return, scoring 13 crucial points in limited minutes to finish three point victors.
The Capitals only shot 39% from the field and 33% from three-point territory, however Abby Bishop's 12/17 shooting performance for 33 points and 8 rebounds steadied the ship slightly. Canberra recorded more turnovers (19 v 14) and less assists (17v12), with Steph Talbot picking up four of these to go with 6 points and 9 rebounds.
Alex Bunton was the most effective player for the Lightning, shooting 10 points (5/6 shooting) to go with 7 rebounds. Adelaide shot a much more productive 36.8% from the field, while they knocked down 13/15 free throws, allowing them to stay within the perimeter of the game and competitive.
Adelaide Lightning 70 (Mijovic 13, Bunton 10, Marino 10, Screen 10)
University of Canberra Capitals 73 (Bishop 33, Jackson 13, Wilson 11)
Bendigo upset by Sydney at home
Sydney Uni proved to be clutch in the fourth quarter winning it 23-11 to defeat the reigning champions Bendigo Spirit by seven points.
Photo Credit: Michelle Couling Photography
Katie-Rae Ebzery was terrific for the victors, scoring 19 points, rebounding the ball 4 times while dishing off 5 assists as well in a terrific all-around game. Sara Blicavs did her best for the Spirit too, finishing with 18 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists.
Bendigo were heavily let down in the game by their three-point inaccuracy, only shooting 2/9 from deep, contributing to the loss. Belinda Snell, Kelsey Griffin and Chelsea Aubry all struggled to make an impact on offense, combining to shoot 6/22 from the field.
Sydney only shot 34.3% from the field, the low percentage significant of a potentially higher winning margin. The Flames made it to the free throw line more often than the Spirit however, making 15 free throws to Bendigo's 8.
Bendigo Spirit 60 (Blicavs 18, Richards 17)
Sydney Uni Flames 67 (Ebzery 19, Samuels 18, Ruef 10)
Dandenong take down Sydney in front of the Nation
Alice Kunek was back to her brilliant best with 26 points as her Dandenong Rangers defeated Sydney Uni 91-72 as the Flames were on the second game of a back-to-back.
Kunek added 8 rebounds to her 26 point outing, while Kate Oliver was Sydney's highest scorer, putting 15 points together in 17 minutes from the bench in an impressive cameo effort.
Dandenong's shooting was terrific throughout the entire game, hitting 48.1% of their field goals while they also shot an astronomical 52% from the three-point line. The Rangers outrebounded Sydney 42-25, a telling factor as to why the final margin was so large.
Sydney's three highest scorers from their game the previous night (Ebzery, Ruef, Samuels) combined to shoot 8/33 from the field in a disappointing performance. The performance of Kate Oliver from the bench remained a bright spot in a letdown performance, as she easily had her best game for the season.
Dandenong Rangers 91 (Kunek 26, Taylor 17, Pickrel 14, Pondexter 14)
Sydney Uni Flames 72 (Oliver 15, Mitchell 13, Ruef 11)
Capitals take down West Coast for a perfect weekend
As Lauren Jackson rested after her return game, it was Steph Talbot who produced a commanding performance in a 83-70 victory for the Capitals placing them in equal fifth place.
Steph Talbot fell three assists short of a triple-double, as she scored 18 points, had 11 rebounds and dished out 7 assists. Sarah Graham scored 17 for the Waves, while she also chipped in on defense with 2 steals.
West Coast were insipid from beyond the arc, only making 4 of their 17 attempts. West Coast were also convincingly beaten in assists, with Canberra piling up a fantastic effort in dishing out 25, while the Waves only had 9.
Canberra got a fairly even performance from their team, with Carly Wilson, Steph Talbot and Abby Bishop all picking up 18 points and at least 1 block. They shot terrifically from the floor, shooting 45% from the field and 46% from three.
West Coast Waves 70 (Graham 17, Smith 12, Garbin 10)
University of Canberra Capitals 83 (Bishop 18, Talbot 18, Wilson 18)
Townsville prove class with Melbourne victory
Townsville once again proved they are the best team in the competition this year with a 88-75 win against the resurgent Melbourne Boomers.
Townsville's big dynamic duo Cayla Francis and Suzy Batkovic once again terrorized their opposition. Suzy Batkovic had 22 points and 6 rebounds, while Cayla Francis impressively notched together a terrific stat-line of 26 points and 15 rebounds. Rebecca Allen was the best for the Boomers, with 24 points and 9 rebounds.
The Fire beat the Boomers in rebounding and assists, with the Fire winning 37-29 and 17-7 respectively in both categories. Five players for Fire had two or more assists, while Francis and Batkovic combined to shoot 17/33.
Melbourne were torn apart comprehensively in the third quarter, being beaten 24-7 as the Boomers shot 2/14 from the field. Melbourne did not commit any steals throughout the entirety of the game, a rarity in the WNBL today.
Townsville Fire 88 (Francis 26, Batkovic 22, Cumming 12)
Melbourne Boomers 75 (Allen 24, Koehn 16, Cole 12)