ANOTHER round of the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) kicked off on Wednesday night, and the first match saw Geelong United claim a six-point win over the Southside Flyers at State Basketball Centre.
Both sides came into the clash with four wins on the season to date, and each side needed a victory to remain in the hunt for a finals spot. The Flyers’ title defence had not gone as well as they would have hoped, while Geelong’s inconsistency was preventing the WNBL’s newest side from making a true charge up the standings.
The Flyers restricted their opponents to just nine points in the first quarter to lead by as much at the first change in a strong start to the match from the hosts. However, United won the remaining three quarters, including the decisive final term after proceedings were tied at the final change. Geelong ended up claiming a six-point triumph to move up to fifth spot on the ladder.
United star Jazmin Shelley was the standout for the winning side, helping her side overcome a slow start and playing a key role in the victory.
Southside Flyers (70) def. by Geelong United (76)
Jaz Shelley – 20 points, four rebounds, seven assists, seven steals
Shelley was dominant on both sides of the ball in the win over the Flyers, doing whatever it took to get Geelong over the line and putting her team on her back on the offensive end.
12 of her 20 points came in the match-winning final term, and she was also able to find her teammates with creative passes in transition as well. There was no player more important to the result of the match than Shelley, who stepped up when the game was on the line in the final 10 minutes.
She shot 7/15 from the field and was particularly damaging from inside the arc, where she nailed six of her eight attempts. Shelley also showed composure at the free throw line, and was calm when tasked with some of the most important bonus points of the match.
As a facilitator, Shelly did her best work in transition, drawing the defence towards her and making a timely dish to her teammates who were often wide open. Despite being the most productive scorer in the match, she was always willing to pass the ball to a teammate in a better position.
Perhaps the most impressive facet of her performance was Shelley’s seven steals, which certainly helped give her side the upper hand. Geelong recorded 20 points from turnovers, and their star was at the forefront of creating these scoring opportunities.
Shelley produced one of the strongest two-way performances of the season in the win over Southside, and delivered a match-winning showing in the fourth quarter.