ALTHOUGH it was a close contest for the first three quarters of Wednesday night’s Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) clash, the Bendigo Spirit closed out the game in emphatic fashion to defeat Geelong United by 21 points.

Coming into the clash at Geelong Arena, the home side were faced with an uphill battle in their quest to upset the Spirit, given Bendigo has been far and away the best side in it this season with a record of 16 wins and two losses. Geelong is currently one of several teams vying for fourth spot, and a surprise win against the title favourites would have done wonders for its quest to make the postseason.

However, the Spirit were simply a class above when the game was there to be one, dominating the final term to claim a big win and essentially lock in top spot for the 2024/25 season.

Geelong United (60) def. by Bendigo Spirit (81)

To start the match, it was Geelong that looked the stronger outfit, holding a seven-point buffer with just a few minutes to play in the first quarter. After an offensive drought that saw neither side able to find the bottom of the net, Micah Simpson knocked down a three-pointer in the final second to cut Bendigo’s deficit to just one point at the first change.

The Spirit’s offensive firepower was able to finally get going in the second term, with Veronica Burton leading the way with some big makes from behind the arc. Geelong’s first quarter advantage was wiped almost immediately, and despite the home side’s best efforts to stay in the contest, a late and-one to Kelsey Griffin saw Bendigo boast a seven-point lead at half time.

Despite ominous signs in the second quarter, Geelong managed to stay in the contest with an improved defensive performance in the third period. United restricted Bendigo to just 17 points for the quarter, and still remained in the hunt heading into the fourth term.

The final 10 minutes of the match proved the most decisive, with the visitors putting the foot down with a tremendous showing on both ends. The Spirit won the term 17-5 to slam the door shut on any sort of comeback, in a dominant display on the back of some excellent play from their big names, with the likes of Griffin, Burton and Sami Whitcomb steering their team to victory.

Whitcomb again delivered a standout performance as she continues her MVP-calibre season with another all-around showing. The veteran posted 20 points, five rebounds and eight assists as she remains the benchmark for not only her team, but the competition as a whole.

Burton was also impressive with 17 points on 6/10 shooting, with her second quarter performance helping Bendigo establish the upper hand, while Griffin and Marianna Tolo posted 11 points each to round out the double-digit scorers.

For United, Haley Jones stuffed the stat sheet with a tremendous performance, posting a double-double of 23 points, 10 rebounds and five assists while shooting 10/17 from the field in a heroic individual outing from the forward.