UC Capitals go down to Sydney Flames
The UC Capitals hit the road for their third match up against the Sydney Flames in round 12 of the Cygnett WNBL. They tipped off the match up with an unchanged starting 5, with Abby Solway and Shakera Reilly added to the bench. For Sydney it was Nicholson, Richards, Madgen, George and Bradley named to fight for their spot in the top 4, as they donned the pink jersey for a second time.
Quarter 1
A a two-point layup from WNBA Champion Cayla George got the first points on the board for the evening, with Canberra’s Alex Fowler responding in nice fashion with a two pointer of her own, while Monica Okoye saw her first three drop. A couple of unsuccessful baskets by the Caps saw Sydney lead by 5 early, as Gemma Potter and Alex Bunton were brought on to inject some energy from the bench. The Flames were strong in transition and held control, but the Caps did well to stay in the fight to go into the second quarter trailing by just one point.
Caps 17, Flames 18
Quarter 2
It was an intense start to the second quarter, seeing the lead switch hands with almost every basket. Alex Fowler found herself on the free throw line twice early on, to add four points to the Caps score. The Caps were aggressive in defence and determined in attack, but lost some momentum as the clock ticked down, leading to the Flames sitting twelve points ahead.
Caps 30, Flames 42
Quarter 3
The Flames were first to see the basket in quarter 3, as Didi Richards forced her way through the Caps defence. In response, Jade Melbourne made her best attempt but was swallowed by the height of their hosts. A free throw by Sharp was the only point Caps recorded for the first three minutes of the quarter before she shot a huge three and step into her leadership role with poise. With four minutes left, Fowler shot a soaring 3 which seemed to bring life to the Caps, but frustration still crept in. Despite some threes, and the insertion of Shakera Reilly and Jade Kirisome, the third quarter saw the Flames shoot ahead by 20 points.
Quarter 4
In a milestone worth remembering, Jade Kirisome recorded her first points in the WNBL, finding space and running into the paint to shoot a two-point driving lay-up against the far more experienced opposition. From there, it was a similar tale to the previous quarters, with the Sydney Flames going from strength to strength and not looking back. The UC Capitals added some points through Gemma Potter and Jayda Clark, the latter a shining light throughout the match. Head Coach Kristen Veal gave development player Abby Solway some game time, the young gun firing off a three. However it was the Flames who earned the win, the Caps going down 90-65.
Caps 65, Flames 90