ALTHOUGH it may not have been the ideal result for her UC Capitals, import Charli Collier delivered her best performance at Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) level in the loss to the Adelaide Lightning over the weekend.

Collier and the Capitals travelled to Adelaide 36ers Arena to take on the Lightning and were looking to get back on the winners’ list after sustaining consecutive losses in recent weeks. Although Canberra had been competitive, it had not converted to wins, and further heartbreak ensued in South Australia, with Adelaide holding on for a one-point win.

It was a familiar start for the Capitals, letting the opposition get an early lead by not hitting the scoreboard themselves. However, it was a better defensive performance in the first 10 minutes of play, holding the Lightning to just 33 per cent shooting from the field and drawing within two points by the first change thanks to a Monique Bobongie bomb from half court.

Collier had already impacted the game in a big way, pulling down nine rebounds in the first term and controlling the skies with a dominant ariel display early on.

Quarter number two belonged to Adelaide, with the home side breaking away thanks to some early baskets from Isobel Borlase. The Lightning found their mark from behind the arc, which helped them break away with a double-digit lead. At the half, Canberra trailed by nine points and were in danger of letting the game slip away. Regardless, Collier was proving one of the most damaging players on the court, posting a double-double prior to the main break with 13 points and 15 rebounds (nine offensive).

The Capitals looked better coming out of half time, cutting the lead to six points early in the third quarter. However, they continued to turn the ball over far too frequently, and it allowed Adelaide’s lead to balloon out to 15 points. Collier knocked down a triple to bring the deficit back to 11 points heading into the fourth, giving the Capitals some hope heading into the last.

Momentum swung both ways in the fourth quarter, with turnovers continuing to hurt the Capitals, but their defence holding strong. Finally, Canberra found some sort of rhythm on the offensive end, and drew within two points with just over two minutes on the clock. The Capitals had several chances to win the game late in the piece, but Collier’s match-winning look from the top of the key did not fall, and the Lightning claimed a 68-67 win.

Although her game-winner did not fall (which would have capped off a tremendous night), Collier was still immense within the context of the game. She finished the match with one of the biggest double-doubles in recent memory with 27 points and 22 rebounds, in a statement performance at WNBL level.