GF Game 2 Preview: History can be made

Written by Megan Hustwaite

It’s all on the line at Bendat Basketball Centre when a fascinating WNBL Grand Final series continues on Wednesday night.

Perth will hit its home floor with a 1-0 lead after posting a comprehensive 98-71 win over Melbourne at Parkville on Saturday.

If the Lynx can salute, they will raise the championship trophy for just the second time in their history, and first since 1992.

For the minor premier Boomers, their campaign is now on the line.

A rebounding victory on the road would send the best-of-three series to a decider back in Melbourne this Saturday.

The Boomers have been in this position before and know exactly what it takes to bounce back on the biggest stage of all.

In Melbourne’s last grand-final appearance in 2017-18, the Boomers lost game 1 in Townsville, bounced back in game 2 in a thriller at home to force a third game back in far north Queensland where the Fire triumphed, 2-1.

Since the Grand Final became a series in 2015-16, it’s gone the distance twice and in consecutive seasons – Townsville vs Melbourne (2017-18) and UC Capitals vs Adelaide Lightning (2018-19).

Townsville (2015-16), Sydney Uni Flames (2016-17) and UC Capitals (2019-20) all won their titles 2-0.

Getting off to a good start is a well-worn cliché but fitting in game 2.

Perth, while riding momentum and self-belief after going to Melbourne and landing the opening win, know the job is far from done yet.

A strong start in front of a vocal, sell-out crowd will go a long way in the Lynx’s quest for a championship on Wednesday night.

For the Boomers, setting the tone early is critical.

Gun import Tiffany Mitchell picked Marina Mabrey’s pocket in the opening seconds to score the first points of the Grand Final last weekend but it was almost all Perth after that as Lynx star Marina Mabrey sunk three early triples to show the way.

Starting well and establishing an early lead would fill Melbourne with confidence and lay the best platform possible for the Boomers to showcase the basketball that saw them finish the regular season top of the ladder all while keeping their championship hopes alive.

The Lynx have been best known for being a high-octane offensive team but flexed their defensive muscle in the series opener restricting the Boomers to 71.

The stat sheet was a pretty picture for the visitors who won the rebound count 47-36, had 23 assists and went at 47 per cent from the three-point line.

Despite swimming against the tide for much of the contest, the Boomers did win the third quarter by two points and will take confidence out of the fact they are so much better than key statistical areas showed in game one.

One thing is for sure, history can be made in game 2.

Perth can win the thing in front of the red army while a Melbourne victory can send the series to a decider where the Boomers can rewrite the record books as the first WNBL team to lose game 1 then win the championship series.