Caps battle but fall short to hot shooting Lynx
In a stark contrast to their earlier matchup in Canberra, which ended up being a thriller, the UC Capitals just couldn’t get going offensively as they opened their crucial road trip with an 87-63 defeat at the hands of the Perth Lynx.
The Capitals struggled in this one, shooting 31% from the field and only hitting 5/24 three pointers. The squad also turned the ball over 18 times and gave up 23 offensive rebounds (leading to 21 second chance points) in what was a forgettable affair.
On a positive note, Ella Tofaeono continued to string together quality performances off the bench, finishing with her first double double of the season (15pts, 10rebs) and the Caps managed to tighten the screws defensively in the 2nd half (30pts allowed) after giving up 57 at the half.
Here’s how it went down.
First quarter
The Capitals had another slow start offensively falling behind 11-4 as Laeticia Amihere had 7 early points, forcing Coach Paul Goriss to call for timeout. Off the timeout, the Caps settled in with Nicole Munger and Ella Tofaeono coming off the bench providing a spark to get the Caps within 3, 13-10. However, turnovers continued to plague the Caps as Amihere and Miela Sowah closed out the quarter strong for Perth.
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Lynx 20, Capitals 10
Second Quarter
The Caps offensive struggles continued in the second quarter, coming up empty on their first few possessions and on the other end, the struggles extended giving up multiple offensive rebounds to the Lynx, as the home team opened up a 27-10 lead. Nyadiew Puoch and Chantel Horvat hit a couple baskets to pull the Caps within 13, 29-16, but the Lynx responded with a 14-2 run capped by an Amy Atwell 3 pointer to stretch the Lynx lead to 25, 43-18. Off the timeout, the Caps found some life, responding with a 9-3 run to cut the lead 46-27. But Amy Atwell heated up, hitting a few threes and ending the half with two free throws to give the Lynx a commanding 27-point halftime lead.
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Lynx 57, Capitals 30
Lynx (Sowah 14pts, Amihere 13pts, Atwell 13pts)
Capitals (Horvat 8pts, Munger 7pts, Puoch 6pts)
Third Quarter
Nyadiew Puoch scored five early points for the Capitals to open the third, but the bright spots were few and far between for the Caps. To make matters worse, Charli Collier got called for a questionable offensive foul and her frustrations boiled over into a technical foul, which also happened to be her 5th personal, ending her forgettable night. Amihere, Sowah and Atwell continued to dominate for the Lynx throughout the quarter, as they ended up with a seemingly insurmountable lead to close the third.
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Lynx 77, Caps 44
Fourth quarter
For the Caps, the fourth quarter was all about battling to bring some respectability to the scoreline and gain some momentum for upcoming game at Adelaide. Puoch scored another five quick points, and Ella Tofaeono did her damage inside finishing tough looks on offense and providing a steady presence defensively. While the Lynx lead was too much, the Caps did manage to at least win the quarter 19-10.
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Final score
Lynx 87, Capitals 63
Top performers
Capitals
Nyadiew Puoch – 18pts, 3rebs, 3stls
Ella Tofaeono – 15pts, 10rebs, 3blks
Lynx
Miela Sowah – 24pts, 7rebs, 2asts
Laeticia Amihere – 15pts, 16rebs, 4stls
Next game: UC Capitals vs Adelaide Lightning 12.30pm Sunday 15 December in Adelaide.