ALTHOUGH her team ended up losing to the Adelaide Lightning, star UC Capitals guard and off-season recruit Alex Sharp could not have done much more.

Having suited up out west for the Perth Lynx over the past few seasons, and dominated Western Australia in the NBL1, Sharp headed to the nation’s capital to join the Capitals. UC had endured a tough campaign last year, but the addition of Sharp gave the team some star power, given the shooting guard is fresh off winning the Most Valuable Player award in the NBL1 West over the weekend.

When the two sides clashed at the National Convention Centre on Saturday, it was Adelaide that got out to the stronger start. The Lightning held an 11-point lead at the first change, and when that ballooned out to 15 at half time, it was evident the Capitals needed to tighten up on the defensive end.

UC came out of the main break with a goal to be as restrictive as possible, and held the opposition to 12 points for the term. However, it needed to translate to the offensive end as well. The Capitals remarkably tied things up with 75 seconds to play, but Isobel Borlase hit a shot from behind the arc to give the Lightning the lead, and the home side fell by three points.

Although the result was not ideal, Sharp was tremendous in leading from the front, and showed she is in for a big season with the Capitals.

UC Capitals (79) def. by Adelaide Lightning (82)

Alex Sharp – 21 points, 19 rebounds, two assists, one steal

Sharp produced an excellent debut performance for the Capitals, almost getting them over the line in a nail-biting clash.

Although it was the Borlase show in the first half, Sharp played a key role in her side’s second half comeback. The Capitals got on top in the rebounding battle, and Sharp was a massive factor in that. She accounted for 19 of the team’s 40 rebounds, and although she isn’t the tallest player, simply places herself in the right position.

Her rebounding and scoring came together in the game-tying basket, where Sharp tapped the loose ball to herself after a Capitals miss, snagged the offensive rebound and nailed the turnaround jumpshot from in close to tie things up. Although it was answered down the other end, it was a pivotal moment in the game and showed what Sharp truly brings to the team.

She shot 6/14 from the field, and a perfect 8/8 from the free throw line en route to a game-high 21 points. Sharp even chimed in for a three-pointer, making the opposition pay for leaving her open in the corner.

It was as emphatic of a debut as the Capitals could have asked for, as Sharp put the team on her back and demonstrated how valuable she will be this season.