LADDER leaders Bendigo Spirit took care of a rival by defeating Townsville Fire in a New Year’s Eve special class up north. The Spirit won by 11 points at Townsville Entertainment Centre, coming back from a quarter time deficit to pile on 48 points to 32 over the next two quarters and ultimately seal the 76-65 victory.
| Townsville Fire | 20 | 14 | 18 | 13 | 65 |
| Bendigo Spirit | 15 | 22 | 26 | 13 | 76 |
The third placed Fire looked good to cause an upset over the ladder leaders in front of home fans early, jumping out of the blocks to lead by five points at quarter time. Once they had regrouped however, the Spirit got back to business, and set about turning the tables on Townsville. Bendigo restricted the Fire to just 14 points in the second term and 18 in the third, while pouring down 48 points themselves, setting up the 11-point win through those two quarters.
Despite losing the rebound count (38-45) and breaking even in the assists (19-19), it was the Spirit’s defensive work and long-range shooting that really stood out. Bendigo snatched 14 steals to seven and eight blocks to four, while nailing 12 of 35 (34 per cent) from beyond the arc, and 16 of 35 (45 per cent) from inside it.
Leading the way for the Spirit was Veronica Burton with the backcourt player nailing three of seven from three-point range, one of a trio of players with Casey Samuels and Abigail Wehrung to achieve the feat of three triples. Burton also had a team-high 18 points, as well as seven assists, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
Consistent stars Sami Whitcomb (16 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals) and Marianna Tolo (15 points, four rebounds and a steal) were rock solid once again. Tolo in particular became a real headache for the Townsville offence, denying the Fire’s shots with a match-high six blocks, half of the total blocks in the game.
For the Fire, Abbey Ellis notched up an equal game-high 18 points, with six rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Lauren Cox recorded a double-double in the loss with 15 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Meanwhile Courtney Woods came ever so close to a triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, albeit with nine turnovers.
Round 10 of the WNBL tips off tomorrow, with Bendigo Spirit having the quick turnaround to head slightly south to Qudos Bank Arena. There, the ladder leaders face Sydney Flames, while for Townsville Fire, they begin their 2025 campaign at the State Basketball Centre on Saturday, January 4,
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