THE latest round of the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) kicked off on Wednesday night, with the Perth Lynx hosting the UC Capitals at their home away from home in the Ballarat Sports Event Centre. The Lynx headed into this clash as favourites given their form of late, and they certainly lived up to expectations.

Perth produced a clinical third quarter that ended up proving match-winning, with the Capitals unable to conjure a comeback in the final term, as the margin finished at a whopping 29 points.

After a heartbreaking defeat to the Boomers last round, this was an excellent response from the Lynx, as they continue their march up the ladder. If they can continue to produce performances of this calibre, then their offence will be tough to stop moving forward, given they have not scored less than 77 points in all of their outings to start the season.

FIRST QUARTER

Both sides started the match with some serious offensive firepower, with scores high in the opening period. It was an incredibly close affair to begin with, with the Capitals matching the fast-paced scoring of their opponents, but neither side could gain the upper hand. The Capitals took a four-point lead midway through the term, but were unable to hold on to this, with the Lynx getting some momentum toward the end of the term to flip this result. At the end of the first term, Perth were holding a four-point advantage over their opponents, which could have been worse if not for a late shot from Capitals guard Tahlia Tupaea.

SECOND QUARTER

The second period showed that the Capitals came to play in this clash, producing an incredibly impressive term and shocking their opponents. The Lynx suddenly found themselves on the back foot as their opponents quickly erased the quarter time deficit to take the lead early in the term. The Capitals starters were a massive factor in this as they turned the result around. By the time the buzzer sounded for the main break, the Capitals had gone from trailing by four points to leading by three as they looked to cause a bit of an upset.

THIRD QUARTER

The third term saw the Lynx produce one of the strongest individual quarters by a team we have seen this year. They were simply outstanding on both ends of the court as they sent a message to not only the other team, but also the rest of the competition. It is hard to imagine any side slowing down this sort of form, with Perth not giving their opponents any breathing room to find a good shot while also punishing them on the scoreboard. By the time the third quarter concluded, the Lynx led by 19 points, thanks to a 29-7 period.

FOURTH QUARTER

The Lynx continued their run into the fourth quarter, continuing to get the better of the Capitals on most possessions. While this was not to the extent of the third period, the lead was still extended by double-digits with all hopes of a comeback ruled out in this time. The Lynx were able to put their game into cruise control as they sealed the victory with a big final term. The margin ended at 29 points, in what was a dominant second-half performance from one of the strongest offensive teams in the competition. If they can continue to reach 100+ points on a regular basis, they will be close to the top of the standings in no time.

CLOSING THOUGHTS …

For the victors, skipper Darcee Garbin produced one of her strongest games of the year and was one of the main reasons why her team was able to break away in the second half. She poured in 24 points and nine rebounds in a true captain’s performance. Teammate Lauren Scherf was her usual dominant self again, recording a double-double with 15 points and 14 rebounds, while Ashleigh Isenbarger provided a spark off the bench with 19 points in under 18 minutes of action. For the Capitals, Kelsey Griffin gave it her all with 17 points and five rebounds as the captain tried to keep her side in the match. Fellow Capitals Brittany Smart and Brittney Sykes poured in 14 points apiece and were crucial for their side in the second term when things were looking promising.