On Song
Tagged in: Tall Ferns
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Bedlam reigned at the “Cowles Cauldron” as the Christchurch Sirens staged a comeback of epic proportions eclipsing a 10-point fourth quarter deficit to outrun the Bendigo Spirit 86-83 in the Australian Defence Forces WNBL.
The crowd was entertained bya fine display of up-tempo basketball and the roller-coaster finish moved the Sirens to their second straight win.
Christchurch ruled the transition game, scoring 24 points from Bendigo turnovers compared to 11. Bendigo owned the offensive boards up until the final quarter, scoring 20 second-chance points to seven.
Both sides amassed high assist tallies with the Sirens leading 29-20.
Round Five Nivea WNBL Player of the Week Donna Wilkins again notched a double-double with 22 points (8/12 FG, 4/4 FT) and 11 rebounds and was outstanding at the defensive end with seven steals from 37 minutes.
Natalie Purcell was once again crucial from deep, going 4/7 from three-point territory, and scored eight points as the Sirens closed out the game on a 20-7 run. Shooting guard Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe played with confidence, slotting 6/11 from the field for 13 points, dishing out nine assists and thriving in the running game.
American point Ashley Awkward also moved the ball well for eight assists and added nine points and four boards. Fellow importLamisha Augustine had a hot shooting touch to finish with 12 points, nine boards and five assists.
Bendigo forward Jenna O’Hea had a tremendous all-round effort with 26 points, six boards, eight assists to lead the visitors on 11/21 shooting. Opal playmaker Kathleen MacLeod nailed all 11 of her free throw attempts and shot 5/14 from the field for 22 points, while managing to haul in eight boards and seven assists from the full allotment of 40 minutes.
The first quarter featured a mountain of points with the sides combining for 60. Christchurch came out firing on all cylinders and hit their first nine field goal attempts to open up a 22-7 lead after only five minutes. Bendigo adjusted to the game speed quickly, scoring nine unanswered points, and lived on the foul line to close out the quarter down just four, 32-28.
Neither team could stop the other from scoring in the opening minutes of the second quarter as the shootout continued. Bendigo’s Gabrielle Richards made her presence felt in the paint securing plenty of offensive boards and scoring six in the quarter.
Wilkins kept the Sirens ahead until some late free throws pushed the visitors ahead at halftime, 52-50.
The Sirens stepped up their defence in the third quarter beginning with an 11-4 run, capped by a Purcell three-pointer. The well-drilled Bendigo unit gained the ascendancy through some supreme offensive execution with a 16-3 passage and it looked like the Sirens were about to repeat the heavy 58-96 loss in Bendigo two weeks ago.
However, the home side did not crumble under the pressure and instead took the game back to their fellow WNBL newcomers in the fourth quarter.
A Marita Payne jumper opened the lead out to 76-66 for Bendigo, before the Sirens found a purple patch and slowly pegged back the deficit. With six minutes to play and Christchurch trailing by five, Sirens coach Leigh Gooding made a gutsy move, inserting playmaker Noni Wharemate into the lineup for the first time since her return from a back injury.
Wharemate provided the impetus setting up the play with two assists, throwing her body around and even recording a block. Wilkins scored two buckets to give the Sirens the lead at 82-81, before MacLeod replied with a coast-to-coast lay-up with 40 seconds to play.
Wilkins then took the team on her shoulders with two crucial steals, and Purcell and Augustine finished off fast breaks with lay-ins to create a 86-83 lead with five seconds to play. Bendigo opted for a quick inbounds rather than a time out and Kiwi international Lisa Pardon’s three-point attempt failed to find the mark.
Christchurch (2-7) face the Bulleen Boomers at home next Friday, while Bendigo (4-4) tackle Dandenong on the road next Saturday.
Christchurch Sirens 86 (Donna Wilkins 23, Natalie Purcell 18, Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe 13, Lamisha Augustine 12) Bendigo Spirit 83 (Jenna O’Hea 26, Kathleen MacLeod 22, Gabrielle Richards 10) Halftime 50-52
