UC Capitals go down to Townsville Fire
The Caps kept an unchanged starting five for the weekend, lining up Jade Melbourne, Alex Sharp, Alex Fowler, Nicole Munger, and Monica Okoye. For the visitors it was Alice Kunek, Steph Reid, Zitina Aokuso, Sami Whitcomb and Mikaela Ruef.
Q1
Making her presence in the capital known, Sami Whitcomb got the scoring started knocking down a three-pointer and a layup in quick succession. To open the Caps account, Melbourne got started with a layup of her own before Sharp knocked down a jump shot from the top of the key. Halfway through the quarter, Swedish import Amanda Zahui B subbed in for the Fire and managed a three-pointer for her first points in the WNBL. The Caps put up a team effort as they shared the scoring throughout the first term, with Gemma Potter and Jayda Clark subbing on to contribute to the team total. The visitors continued to run the floor and utilise their height advantage down low, but the quarter ended with two successful free throws from Clark which gave the Caps a one-point lead.
Caps 19 – Fire 18
Q2
Coming back from the first break, Townsville were raring to go and scored four points in the first 40 seconds. However, the Caps responded with two baskets of their own to claim back their one-point lead. Aokuso and Whitcomb continued to combine for the Fire and keep their team in the contest with a series of baskets each. Caps co-captain, Sharp, had her eye and continued to knock down a mix of jump shots and driving layups. Five minutes in to the quarter and the Fire began to pull ahead on the scoreboard thanks to some sharp shooting from Whitcomb. The Caps weren’t able to reduce the margin and went into half time back on the chase.
Leading scorers for the Caps at halftime was Clark on 6 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, Potter with 6 points and 3 rebounds, and Sharp with 6 points, 4 rebounds. For the Fire it was Whitcomb with 11 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists.
Caps 32 – Fire 37
Q3
The Caps came hot off the break with Sharp coming straight on to score a hook shot, but the Fire followed up quickly with Woods adding four points of her own. The game intensity picked up in the third with the Fire starting up a full court defence against the Caps and began to run the ball with pace up their own end. Townsville utilised the speed of Reid who came up on the receiving end of several fast breaks to score some quick points for her team. The Caps struggled to find points of their own and the defending champions began to stretch out their lead.
Caps 43 – Fire 62
Q4
The start to the final term was the quickest one yet with both teams jumping straight in on the action. Cass Brown opened the scoring the visitors with three baskets in the first two minutes, while Clark kept up her good performance by adding a three-pointer to her name. Zahui B continued to make herself at home in the league, posting up down low and using her height to her advantage. The Caps utilised their full roster with Shakera Reilly, Abby Solway and JJ Kirisome all making it on court, giving Kirisome her first minutes in front of a home Canberra crowd. Fowler put in the work for the home side in defence, coming up with some huge blocks against the Townsville offence. Solway brought the crowd alive for one more time in the dying minutes, hitting two massive back-to-back three-pointers. In the end it wasn’t enough to stop the Fire who ran away with the win.
Top scorers were Sharp with 13 points, 9 rebounds and Clark with 9 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds. Leading the Fire was Woods with 17 points, 4 assists, 6 steals and 6 rebounds, while Whitcomb had 16 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists.
Caps 55 – Fire 84