The UC Capitals set sights on finishing the semi-finals series 2-0 against the Perth Lynx

They love a home crowd, but the UC Capitals are going to give it everything to finish the semi-final series 2-0 in Perth and ensure their place in the grand final.

There’s no doubt that, for the UC Capitals fan, hosting a third and final semi-final game in Canberra would be thrilling. But neither the head coach, Paul Goriss, or the players want to rest their championship dreams on a sudden death match.

Kia Nurse, who put on a 31-point masterclass in Semi-Final 1, said that they will be taking their next face-off against the Lynx very seriously.

“I think any time you get into a situation like this and you have the opportunity to finish a goal or take another step towards your major goal, you always want to try and get it done as fast as possible,” said Nurse.

Despite a 19-point win over Perth that left the team feeling confident, the UC Capitals don’t doubt the challenge that will be Game 2.

Co-Captain, Marianna Tolo, said that the team can’t relax like they did during the second quarter on Friday night which led to the Lynx taking the lead.

“We didn’t really get it going both offensively and defensively and they started hitting their strides, and we can’t have those little lapses in the game. We have to play 40 minutes – four full quarters -ready to go,” said Tolo.

The UC Capitals have not won a game in Perth, but Goriss said that a major difference this time will be Tolo’s presence.

“Having Tolo makes a huge difference to us both offensively and defensively. They score more points at home than they do on the road, so strong defense will be the key to stop their transitions, their outside scoring and getting their feet in the paint.

We weren’t satisfied with how we played in the second quarter but knowing from the first and the third quarter what we can do gives us confidence in ourselves that we can beat them,” said Goriss.

If the UC Capitals lose, the series will have to go to Game 3 which will be held in Canberra on February 2. With only two days between Games 2 and 3, the tight turn around and grueling travel schedule will impact both teams.

To watch the game, tune into Fox Sports Australia at 9:30pm AEDT or follow live stats here.