PERTH Lynx’s incredible recent form continued on Tuesday with another massive win, this time over the fourth placed UC Capitals. In front of a home crowd at Perth High Performance Centre, the Lynx made it five victories on the bounce in the last WNBL match prior to Christmas.

Perth Lynx (75) def. UC Capitals (49)

In a commanding performance, the Lynx raced to the front with a seven-point lead at quarter time, and though the Capitals trimmed it to give by the main break, that was all they could do as the red-hot favourites put the foot down in the second half.

Perth was coming off a dominant 27-point belting of Adelaide on the road just two days earlier, and returned home to face the Capitals at a venue they had not lost at since November 4 when they went down to top two side Townsville Fire. Since then, the Lynx have only lost two matches and won seven, having also accounted for the Capitals at AIS Arena on November 29.

In what was also the final match of Round 10, the Lynx gave their fans an early Christmas present with a 41 points to 20 second half, to go from five up at the main break to win by 26 at the final buzzer. The 75-49 results moved the Lynx four wins clear inside the top three and in touch with both the Fire (11-2) and Spirit (12-2) who are just one game clear.

The double-double star that is Anneli Maley was simply unstoppable at her home court, racking up 21 rebounds – 15 of those at the defensive end – to pair with her 16 points and four assists. She worked well with scoring machine Alex Wilson who notched up a game-high 28 points, six assists and three steals.

Towering Chinese center Han Xu used her height close to the basket with seven defensive rebounds, while also shooting 11 points, and denying the opposition with four crucial blocks. Her 211cm frame caused all sorts of headaches for the Capitals.

Meanwhile the Capitals struggled to score between Maley and Xu’s defensive abilities, as Kadiatou Sissoko‘s 20 points was the only major score of note. Zitina Aokuso (10) also reached double-digits, but the likes of talented Jade Melbourne (0 points, eight assists) shot 0/9 from the field and instead dished off to teammates.

The key difference between the sides was Perth’s ability to shoot at 46 per cent from the field compared to UC’s 23.8 per cent, while draining 10 of 32 from long-range, as the Capitals managed just three of 11.

It was a tough night out for the Capitals who have the four-day turnaround playing first in Round 11 back at AIS Arena against the Sydney Flames. Perth Lynx face Geelong Venom – a side that knocked off the West Australian team earlier in the season – on December 28 in their last game before the new year.