UC Capitals go down to Perth after winning first half
The UC Capitals hit the road for their post Christmas clash against the Perth Lynx, in round 9 of the Cygnett WNBL.
UC Capitals Head Coach Kristen Veal selected the same starting 5 as previous rounds with Jade Melbourne, Alex Sharp, Alex Fowler, Nicole Munger and Monica Okoye tipping off proceedings for the visiting team.
For Perth, it was Anneli Maley, Mia Goodchild, Aari McDonald, Emily Potter and Amy Atwell.
Quarter 1
It was a near perfect start for the UC Capitals, who came out confidently with two wins under their belt. With Alex Sharp back on her former home court, the co-captain was immediately in the action, securing a defensive rebound, allowing Alex Fowler to kickstart a strong quarter and open the scoring for the Caps. The opening points for Perth arrived after two minutes of play through Emily Potter. WNBL rookie Jayda Clark showed her potential, making a real impact off the bench in the opening term as the UC Capitals continued their strong defence to keep Perth to just 15 points in the opening 10.
Caps 27, Perth 15
Quarter 2
Perth Lynx cut the lead down to 10 in the opening play, before Sharp clawed it back through another rebound. Perth started to match Canberra’s intensity and fight for the ball, and through Anneli Maley were able to work their way back into the competition. With 14 points between them, and 4 minutes left, Jade received her third foul, forcing her to rest earlier than hoped heading into half time. Some unlucky Caps turnovers and some sharp shooting by Perth, saw the hosts narrow it down to a four point chase heading into the sheds. Fowler top scoring for the Caps with 13 points, Jade Melbourne on 10.
Caps 46, Perth 42
Quarter 3
Okoye opened the scoring for the Caps as they looked to keep up the same energy they began the game with. However it was Amy Atwell who started hottest, as she shot a soaring 3 to narrow the margin down to two. It was Perth captain Anneli Maley who evened the score, the teams level for the first time all evening. Perth was five points ahead in a blink of an eye, before Munger shot an important two to keep the guests in it. Canberra needed to keep Perth’s momentum at bay, as Jade re-entered the game with five minutes left of the quarter. The co-captain immediately made an impact, to re-level the scores and keep the guest calm amid the intensity. Amy Atwell found her sweet spot, to shoot a spree of three’s but as the clock ticked down, Munger landed some important points.
Quarter 4
The final term saw the Caps came up with the first points as the fight continued to earn their third win of the season. The score continued to bounce back and forth in Perth’s favour as the Caps entered foul trouble, with Melbourne, Fowler and Clark treading carefully on 4, before Melbourne fouled out with two minutes left on the clock. The home team was in the lead by 5 with one minute left and it was a frantic final 20 seconds as both teams hustled hard. Again, Canberra never gave up the fight but the score fell Perth’s way, ending the night 8 points ahead.
Jade Melbourne on 25 points, 6 rebounds & 8 assists
Alex Sharp 16 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists
Alex Fowler 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
Nicole Munger 11 points, 4 rebounds & 1 assist
Monica Okoye 7 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists
Gemma Potter 12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist
Jayda Clark 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist
Caps 90, Perth 98