Lynx beat Flyers in Melbourne for fifth straight
Ally Wilson was a pest in the passing lanes, Miela Sowah put up another 23 points and the Perth Lynx stretched their WNBL winning run to five to set up the match up with Bendigo Spirit with Sunday’s 89-82 road win over the Southside Flyers.
The Lynx arrived at the State Basketball Centre in Melbourne on a four-game winning streak including Wednesday night’s 106-80 victory at home to the Townsville Fire.
Perth blew the game open on Sunday with the last 16 points of the first half and the first two of the second, but the Flyers wouldn’t go away and got back within a point before the Lynx closed the deal for the seven-point victory to improve to 6-1.
Where the game was won
It was a seesaw contest for a lot of the first half before the Lynx blew the game wide open with the last 16 points to take the score from 35-40 to leading 51-40 going into the half-time break.
That became an 18-0 run to start the second half but to Southside’s credit, even while missing Alice Kunek and Carley Ernst, they kept on fighting and got back as close as a point late in the third quarter.
It remained a tight contest throughout the fourth quarter but the Lynx closed the deal at the foul line and finished off with another 11/27 three-point shooting performance at 40 per cent while making 22/28 free-throws.
Perth also finished with 45 rebounds to 41 for the game and forced Southside into 18 turnovers with Ally Wilson producing six steals herself and Laeticia Amihere five blocks for the Lynx to score 25 points off those to help overcome turning the ball over 20 times themselves.
Who the standout performers were
The key to the Lynx victory once again was the number of key contributors they had with Miela Sowah ending up top-scoring on the way to 23 points and five rebounds on shooting 3/6 from behind the three-point arc and 10/11 at the free-throw line.
Ally Wilson was brilliant getting in the passing lanes for six steals on her way to 19 points, three assists, three rebounds and two blocks while also making 3/6 from long-range.
Laeticia Amihere had another 14 points, five blocks, four rebounds and three assists with Anneli Maley contributing 11 points, 15 rebounds and three assists, Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard nine points and three boards, Alex Ciabattoni eight points, five rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks, and Steph Gorman five points, three boards and three assists.
Bec Cole finished with 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists for Southside with Naz Hillmon providing 20 points, 13 boards, five assists and five steals, and Maddy Rocci 19 points but seven turnovers.
How the game panned out
Miela Sowah was one player who didn’t make a three-point shot despite the team going 16/23 on Wednesday night despite scoring 20 points, but she opened Sunday’s game with a long ball.
Anneli Maley and Ally Wilson then also hit from downtown as part of a 7-0 run, and Wilson made a second and Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard got in on the act for the Lynx to be leading 21-19 by the end of one.
The Flyers managed to assume the 40-35 advantage midway through the second quarter, but from that point the Lynx took control and Southside wouldn’t score again the rest of the half.
Opposed to that, Perth scored 16 straight points including a triple from Steph Gorman, and with Wilson, Laeticia Amihere, Alex Ciabattoni and Maley all getting in on the act.
That saw the Lynx leading 51-40 after one on 51 per cent shooting to 42 from Perth before it became an 18-0 run when Sowah opened the second half but Southside worked back into the contest.
The Flyers got all the way back to within a point just before three quarter-time but on the buzzer Sowah hit a long three to keep the Lynx leading by four.
Southside kept things close throughout the fourth quarter but Perth maintained a slender lead before then icing the game at the foul line courtesy of Sowah and Maley.
What’s next for the Lynx
The victory now sets up a mouth watering match up for the Lynx back home at Bendat Basketball Centre this Thursday night as they put their five-game winning streak on the line up against the currently undefeated Bendigo Spirit.
CYGNETT WNBL SEASON 2024/25
PERTH LYNX 89 (Sowah 23, Wilson 19, Amihere 14)
SOUTHSIDE FLYERS 82 (Cole 22, Hillmon 20, Rocci 19)