Jade drops 40 as the Caps send Bishop out a winner
The UC Capitals have finished off their WNBL season in style, with a 83-74 win over the top of the table Bendigo Spirit. A career high 40 points to Jade Melbourne was the shining highlight in a night in which all the Caps players put in strong performances.
Veronica Burton was strong for Bendigo with 29 points while Sami Whitcomb also had a good game, contributing 11 points, 5 assists and 6 rebounds.
While the UC Capitals season comes to an end on a high note, the Spirit will have to regroup ahead of a playoff series against the Sydney Flames.
Here is how it all played out at the AIS!
Q1
The opening quarter was a gruelling affair, with each team refusing to give up and inch to their opposition.
Jade Melbourne immediately bounced back from last week, leading the UC Caps offence with multiple assists and deep threes in the opening period.
Sami Whitcomb, the favourite for WNBL MVP, also started fast, leading the Bendigo offence in pick and roll contests with the Spirit bigs. However, poor shooting efficiency kept the Spirit within touching distance of the Caps for majority of the quarter.
Charli Collier got to work early in the paint, combining well with Nicole Munger. A buzzer beater by Jade at the end of the 1st quarter tied the contest heading into the first break.
Caps 17
Spirit 17
Q2
The caps 2nd quarter started strong as well, with rebounding leading to a Nards bucket, quickly followed by two points to Jade.
When Charli scored a mid range shot not long after, it seemed as though the Caps had found their range. Some more loose basketball by Bendigo kept UC slightly ahead in the contest.
Kelsey Griffin scored a brilliant mid range basket, in which the Bendigo captain was falling while shooting, before hitting the floor. Soon after head coach Paul Gorris was forced into a timeout following a Bendigo and ‘1’.
After the timeout, the Caps went down the court through Jade, who delivered the ball to Charli who hit another tough shot in heavy traffic.
In her last ever game, Abby Bishop headed to the line with the veteran making no mistake to give the caps back the lead.
The advantage was erased soon after thanks to a Veronica Burton three. The shot seemed to spark the spirit, who started to find success on offence.
Some strong defence off a fast break by the Caps saw Kelsey Griffin take a tough fall to the ground behind the basket.
Charli found another basket that sparked the capitals, with Jade landing a three that was immediately answered by Wehrung.
Charli repeated the dose, heading to the line soon after, bringing her first half tally of points to 10, and tying the game.
A two to Marianna Tolo looked to give Bendigo the lead heading into half time but yet another three to Jade meant the Caps took a one point advantage into the main break.
Caps 39
Spirit 38
Q3
Bendigo put their early quarter shudders to rest, scoring the opening basket off the half through Griffin
Jade started the period well, scoring yet another three to get the advantage back to the Caps. A three point play not long after by the captain gave the Caps a five point advantage.
However, just when the Caps were looking to take over in the contest Sami Whitcomb called for the ball and landed a shot from range.
The Caps were dealt a blow when Charli Collier hit the floor after getting tangled up with a Spirit defender. Three consecutive defensive rebounds not long after eventually led to a Caps bucket, which was answered by a two point score by Kelly Wilson.
Players on both ends kept standing up for their team with each side trading tough shots amid great defence. The highlight of the run was a three to Nards, which was followed up by a mid range, fading jumper to Jade.
A steal to Veronica Burton, led to a timeout call with Bendigo holding a slender lead.
Coming out of the timeout the Caps made a poor error, failing to inbound the ball. Off the next possession Kelly Wilson scored to extend the Bendigo lead.
A bucket on the fast break to Jade kept the Caps within a one basket game. Charli returned to the game despite her injury concerns, and went to the free throw line, landing both shots to give the Caps a much needed boost.
Some messy basketball would ensue, before the caps regained the lead through Monique Bobongie, just before the end of the quarter.
Caps 60
Spirit 59
Q4
The Caps had one last quarter in their season, and stood within touching distance of upsetting the ladder leaders.
Jades biggest night of the year continued, scoring a bucket to take her past 30 points.
Bendigo snatched the lead soon after, but Monique would beat the shot clock from the corner soon after to give all the momentum to the Caps.
When Jade dropped a deep shot of her own, the Spirit called for a timeout to stop the game slipping away.
The Caps strong defensive afternoon against Sami Whitcomb once again bared fruits as a charge was called on the Spirit guard.
Monique landed an unlikely reverse layup underneath a smothering piece of defence by Tolo as Bendigo continued to struggle with the pace of the Caps guards.
A block by Indy went to waste as a turnover led to free throws for Veronica Burton. An offensive rebound soon after led to a basket to Griffin in the paint, reducing the caps lead to four.
With under 5 minutes left in the Caps season, a turnover by the side once again hurt the side with Bendigo capitalising.
A clutch three to Nicole lead to the loudest crowd pop of the evening but silence ensued when the Spirit managed to find their way to the line once more.
Bendigo called a timeout, with 3 minutes left in the game, and the contest shaping up as another nail biter at the AIS.
The Spirits wayward shooting once more cost them, as a miss saw the Caps go down the other end and score through Charli.
Burton marched on as the Spirits best of the evening with a three. However, Nicole answered again with a mid range jumper.
A rebound to Monique meant the caps held a five point lead with 93 seconds left in the game. Ever the cool head, Jade drew a foul and got to the line, nailing both to take some of the sting out of the contest.
A foul after a steal put the Caps in a strong position, before Bendigo used another timeout to try and construct a way back into the contest with 53 seconds remaining.
Jade went to the line and hit one of two, to give the caps an eight point lead. The Spirit got a bucket through Tolo, before putting Jade on the line again.
A turnover by Bendigo led to Jade getting two more free throws. She hit one of two meaning she finished on a career high 40 points.
The Caps dribbled the ball out soon after, winning their final game, and handing the Spirit just their 3rd loss of the season.
FINAL SCORE
CAPS 83
SPIRIT 74
TOP PERFORMERS
UC Capitals
Jade Melbourne 40 pts, 7 asts, 10 rebs
Charli Collier 14 pts, 10 rebs
Nicole Munger 11 pts, 2 asts, 6 rebs
Bendigo Spirit
Veronica Burton 29 pts, 7 asts, 3 rebs
Sami Whitcomb 11 pts, 5 asts, 6 rebs
Kelsey Griffin 11 pts, 10 rebs