Lynx on the lookout for vengeful Flyers
The Perth Lynx learned the hardest way possible what happens if you let the Jayco Southside Flyers off the chain only days ago in the Chemist Warehouse WNBL, but that same opponent will be even more motivation in Cairns on Wednesday.
While the youthful Perth were able to build a 10-point lead early on with Darcee Garbin matching the production of Liz Cambage at Cairns’ Pop-up Arena on Saturday, things soon got out of hand.
Even with Cambage sitting most of the second half, the Flyers produced the highest score of the WNBL season with 117 points on the way to the 46-point victory that gave them huge momentum for Monday’s Grand Final rematch.
However, it was a night to forget for Southside in a 23-point loss to the UC Capitals as they slip to a 4-2 record.
While Cambage still managed 26 points and six rebounds despite foul trouble and Sara Blicavs had a hot first half on the way to 21 points for the game, not enough Flyers stepped up against the Capitals.
They will be ready to make a statement in response against their next opponent, which just happens to be the Lynx in Cairns on Wednesday.
Blicavs expects a tougher showing from the Lynx, while also looking for a strong response to what happened in the Grand Final rematch from the Flyers.
“It’s going to be tough again and every team comes out firing against us. We beat Perth by 40 but I don’t expect that to happen again,” Sara Blicavs said.
“I feel like they are going to be really up in our grill and that’s something we’ll have to work on, but right now it’s just about figuring out what we did wrong against Canberra, resting and recovering, and getting ready to go again.
“What’s so great about this tournament style of play is that you can’t dwell on anything. We had to mentally refresh and move on from that loss and get ready to play Perth again a day later. It’s a quick turnaround so we have to get over it and get onto the next one.”
The Lynx are fully aware of what the Flyers are capable of after seeing things get out of hand close up on Saturday in the 46-point loss. The positive from that for coach Ryan Petrik, is that they saw the difference between what happens when they are focused and then drop off.
Petrik is looking at it as a free swing for his young group to continue to learn from playing against such a stacked opponent, but he is also mindful that this midway point of hub life could throw up motivational challenges especially for a 1-5 team.
“It’s really simple because it was really stark in that last game. For the first 17 minutes we played with great effort and enthusiasm, and executed our stuff perfectly fine. Then when Southside chucked it into fourth gear, our effort dropped away totally,” Petrik said.
“The ability to play 40 minutes against them while understanding how loaded that roster is, you just can’t take your foot off the gas at any point. The beautiful thing about playing them is that it gives all these West Australian kids that we’ve got huge levels of experience to play them.
“Playing Southside once is probably worth playing a regular WNBL season game eight or nine times just because of the Opals they’ve got on that roster. We look at it more of as a free swing with nothing to lose to gain some experience, and to play our hearts out.”
Chris Pike is a freelance contributor to WNBL.basketball
Broadcast Details
Perth Lynx vs Jayco Southside Flyers
Played at Cairns Pop-up Arena
Wednesday 25 November 2020
5.35pm AEST / 6.35pm AEDT
LIVE on Kayo