AN entertaining opening match of the 2021/22 WNBL season saw the reigning champions the Southside Flyers account for a plucky Bendigo Spirit side by 13 points, 94-81.

Pre game it was revealed both sides had a huge out. Rachel Jarry (Southside) and Demi Skinner (Bendigo) were both ruled out with injury. The opening term was a lot more even than many would have expected pre-game.

Bendigo was able to nab an early turnover but the Spirit were not able to convert. After a few attempts, the Flyers were able to make them pay and get the first points of the match on the board. Bendigo was then able to cause a numbers of quick successive turnovers and build their score and match the reigning premiers.

Although the Spirit had the momentum early on and had an 18-14 lead, the Flyers were able to claw momentum back and took a four-point lead into quarter time.

Sara Blicavs kick-started the scoring in the second term, extending the Flyers lead, and the momentum was all with the Flyers early in the term. The Flyers scored eight points to none in the opening few minutes to widen the lead out to 12 points.

Bendigo was finally able to get a score on the board in the second term about three minutes in. Although the Spirit were able to score a few more times in the term, it was all the Flyers. They extended the lead to as much as 15 points during the term, but at half-time the margin sat at 14 points.

Blicavs was on fire for the Flyers in the first half, shooting 16 points and registering six rebounds up to half-time. Meanwhile for the Spirit, Anneli Maley registered nine points and five rebounds.

In the third term the Flyers continued where they left off, scoring within the opening minute. The Spirit were able to counter that early score for the line with a minute later though to see the score back to 10 points.

It was end to end stuff for much of the third term, but the Flyers were still able to maintain a healthy buffer for much of the term. Bendigo was still hanging around though, and managed to shrink the gap to just nine points by three quarter time.

It was end-to-end basketball to start the final term, but it was the Flyers who were converting more opportunities then the Spirit and the margin had ballooned out to 13 points just over three minutes in. Although Bendigo never gave up and kept fighting to stay in the match, the Flyers were just too strong and ran out 13-point winners.

Blicavs was an absolute star on the scoreboard for the Flyers, scoring 27 points and nine rebounds. Rebecca Cole shot 24 points, four assists and three reounds, while Abby Bishop shot 20 points and 11 rebounds, recording a double-double.

Meanwhile for the Spirit, Maley and Tessa Lavey top scored with 15 points each. Maley also notched up a massive 13 rebounds to record an impressive double-double – as well as five assists – whilst Lavey had a couple of assists and stelas to her name. Mary Goulding came off the bench for 13 points, while Carly Boag scored 11 points in 12 minutes on court.

The next opponent for both sides is the Melbourne Boomers, with the Spirit battling them on Wednesday, while the Flyers face them on Saturday.