SYDNEY Uni’s woes compounded in Round 7 with a massive defeat at the hands of the Lynx, and an injury to star, Alex Wilson. Fellow cellar-dwellers, Dandenong got back on track with a win over Adelaide. The Lightning suffered two losses this round, going down in the dying seconds to the Melbourne Boomers by two points in the last match of the round. It was good news for the Boomers though, as they were able to turn a two-point loss on Friday night into a two-point victory on Sunday.

UC Capitals (72) defeated Melbourne Boomers (70)

Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) fans were treated to a close affair at the National Convention Centre with the UC Capitals triumphing over the Melbourne Boomers by two points. Four points down heading into the final period, it was a defensive rebound followed by two-point jump shot by Kia Nurse with 18 seconds left which won the Capitals the game. It was also only one lost period which put the game on the line for the Capitals, scoring 11 compared to 26 in the second. Melbourne fought well but the Capitals were just the better side on Friday. Kelsey Griffin starred for the Capitals with 16 points, 18 rebounds and two steals. She was unmatched under the ring, tying Melbourne’s best in total rebounds with her offensive rebound stat (six) alone. Nurse also played well with 16 points, five rebounds and one steal, alongside Maddison Rocci, who also scored 16-points with three assists, one steal and one block. For the Boomers, Lindsay Allen starred again with 24 points, five rebounds, five assists and two steals. She led well but her efforts still were not enough to get the Boomers over the line.

Dandenong Rangers (70) defeated Adelaide Lightning (60)

The Rangers were able to build on their season recovery with a 10-point win over Adelaide at home. Dandenong shot well at 41 per cent compared to Adelaide’s 32, winning all quarters but the last one. The Rangers split evenly on rebounds with 44 to 43 respectively with 14 to 12 on assists. Simply put, the Rangers landed more of their shots and defended just that little bit better than the Lightning. Rebecca Cole performed well with 20 points, three rebounds, four assists and four steals, alongside Rachel Jarry, who followed up last week’s impressive performance with 12 points, 13 rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block. For the Lightning, Nia Coffey scored 20 with nine rebounds and two blocks. Nicole Seekamp and Lauren Nicholson also did well under the ring with seven rebounds each and 14 and 12 points respectively. Seekamp also had six assists and seven rebounds, making her one of Adelaide’s most damaging on both ends of the court. Following this performance, Adelaide slips down to seventh spot.

Bendigo Spirit (82) defeated by Townsville Fire (89)

In one of the closest games of the year, the Townsville Fire outscored Bendigo Spirit in overtime to take home a seven-point win away from home. The game looked to be done and won for the Spirit until Suzy Batkovic was fouled by Rebecca Tobin seconds before the end of the fourth period. She landed one of two shots and sent her team into an extra term which won them the game. Batkovic earned herself a double-double with 25 points and 16 rebounds, complementing this with one steal and four blocks. Tess Madgen also earned a double-double with 15 points and 14 assists, as well as three rebounds and three steals. For Bendigo, Tobin dominated with 26 points and 19 rebounds, earning herself a double-double. She also picked up four assists and four blocks, making her the most damaging player on the court. Abbey Wehrung shot well around the court with 19 points, alongside Nadeen Payne with 17 points and eight rebounds. It was a great game that had a lot of strong performers, but in the end, Townsville reigned supreme.

Sydney Uni Flames (67) defeated by Perth Lynx (113)

In the biggest margin for the season, the Perth Lynx took home a huge win in Sydney against the still winless Sydney Uni Flames. In the game’s opener, Sydney looked within a chance only five points behind heading into the second. Though that’s when it all unravelled, being outscored 31 points to 11 in the second. Sydney allowed 32 attempts from the foul line for Perth and only shot 29 per cent compared to 57. For Perth, Asia Taylor shot at 64 per cent and dropped 27 points. She also had seven assists and two steals to round out a top performance. Brittany McPhee did well to drop 21 points with five rebounds, and Alison Schwagmeyer also had an impressive performance with 19 points, seven rebounds and three assists. For Sydney, Tahlia Tupaea and Sarah Graham scored 14 points and three rebounds each. Graham also shot at 71 per cent and was the tied highest scorer for her team, despite only playing 15 minutes.

Melbourne Boomers (84) defeated Adelaide Lightning (82)

This game was close from start to end with the Boomers earning some redemption after a close loss against the UC Capitals at the beginning of the round. At the main break, calling this game would not have been easy, but it was a two-point jump shot by Jenna O’Hea with 30 seconds left that snagged Melbourne the win. For the Boomers, O’Hea shot well to secure 24 points with four rebounds and five assists. Allen landed 18 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals, and Steph Talbot dropped 16 points with four rebounds. For Adelaide, Coffey had another big game with 25 points and 19 rebounds. She also earned three steals and had 12 attempts from the foul line. Nicholson also scored 18 points with four rebounds while Seekamp had 13 points, five rebounds and four assists. With some extra time, the game could have switched hands a few more times. The Boomers did well to defend their home court against the visitors.