UC Capitals claim huge win over the Melbourne Boomers
The UC Capitals have put together the performance of their season so far to earn their first win of the season, against the Melbourne Boomers, 84-72. The occasion was made even more special with a sell-out crowd of 1,212 fans welcoming the team back to Tuggeranong Southern Cross Stadium after almost 7 years away from the venue.
Starting five for the Caps was Jade Melbourne, Alex Sharp, Monica Okoye, Alex Fowler and Nicole Munger. For the visitors it was Sara Blicavs, Jordin Canada, Naz Hilman, Aimee Rocci and Keely Froling.
Q1
Packed in amongst the Canberra crowd, Hilman got the scoring started for the visiting side with a solid two-point driving layup. The Caps soon got their chance at the ring, with Munger getting her team on the board after a successful foul shot. In the following minutes, the home team showed that they had their eye in from the arc with Alex Sharp and Gemma Potter each sinking their own three-pointers. The intensity began to pick up as the quarter went on, the Boomers opted to run the floor with Canada leading the charge on offence. It wasn’t enough to stop the Caps who came up on top at the end of the quarter off the back of a full team effort.
Caps 21 – Boomers 16
Q2
Coming back from the first break, it was the Boomers who opened the shooting again with Reed making a three-pointer from beyond the arc. The Caps came back through Melbourne who went on the attack, once again throwing her body on the line during her many drives to the basket. The Boomers utilised their strength in the key, scoring points down low through Froling and Blicavs. The game took a pause halfway through the quarter when Canada and Melbourne got caught up in a head clash, with Canada receiving a cut to the forehead and Melbourne losing her front tooth. Play got underway once both players received medical attention, and the home team capitalised through Potter as she continued to be a danger by sinking two more three-pointers.
Leading scorers at the half were Melbourne with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists, and Sharp with 11 points, 9 rebounds and 1 assist. For the Boomers it was Canada with 9 points and 7 rebounds, and Conti with 7 points.
Caps 46 – Boomers 37
Q3
Both teams took a break from the heat and came back into the second half with renewed energy and focus. Okoye came alive for the Caps hitting the first points of the quarter and then followed it up with multiple steals up the other end. The Boomers looked to their experienced players to get the scoreboard moving, with Blicavs and Rocci scoring the first points for their team. Sharp was a rebounding machine for the Caps pulling in the ball at both ends of the floor, and Fowler made her scoreboard presence known.
Caps 65 – Boomers 58
Q4
The Caps stepped out with style for the last term with Melbourne dishing out a no-look pass to an open Fowler right under the basket. The Boomers responded with some tricks of their own with Conti passing backwards over her head to Blicavs who knocked down a three-point shot. The physicality stepped up significantly in the final term with the Boomers sitting in foul trouble for the last five minutes. Fowler took advantage of the situation and got herself to the line for some successful free throws. The visitors tried to keep their name in the game, lead off the back of Froling who sunk shots both inside and outside the arc. The Boomers kept threatening the Caps lead but the team banded together to hold strong and take their first win of the season.
Caps 84 – Boomers 72