IN THE only Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) match of the weekend, Southside Flyers import Kayla Thornton starred as her side took down the Bendigo Spirit to the tune of six points at Geelong Arena on Saturday night.

The Flyers lost star forward Lauren Jackson to an Achilles injury last week, and were going to face a tough challenge against a spirited Bendigo side, that is still looking to lock in a finals spot in the coming weeks.

Although it was a close contest all night, Southside maintained its lead throughout a tense final quarter, withstanding everything thrown by the Spirit in the dying stages of the game to hold on by six.

Thornton lead the way as the match’s best offensive player across all four quarters to finish on a game-high points total and keep her team within reach of top spot on the ladder in the coming weeks.

Bendigo Spirit (69) def. by Southside Flyers (75)

Kayla Thornton – 19 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals

Thornton produced another excellent performance for the Flyers, again emphasising her importance to the team as a likely postseason appearance beckons.

Her 19 points were the most of anyone on the court, shooting 61 per cent from the field (8/13 FG) and punishing the opposition with her deadly shot-making ability inside.

In terms of shot selection, Thornton showed an array of attempts from the field, but mainly stuck around the hoop. Although she nailed her one and only shot from behind the arc, she was ferocious in her attack on the hoop and constantly put herself in ideal scoring position.

She chimed in for a vital basket late in the fourth term, nailing a lay-up to give the Flyers the lead with just a few minutes to play, and when the Spirit answered shortly after, her passing and rebounding were crucial.

The forward’s work on the glass was an immense factor in the result, providing plenty of spark in this domain. Of her seven rebounds, five were offensive as Thornton created second chance opportunities for her and her teammates.

Although she was the focal point of the offence, the 30-year-old still had the presence of mind to make the right passes, including one late in the match that led to a massively important score for the Flyers.

Although she has not had ample opportunity to do so throughout the fixture so far, Thornton showed she can lead a side offensively with her excellent interior offence and ability to pull down offensive rebounds.