{"id":34419,"date":"2023-04-10T12:04:17","date_gmt":"2023-04-10T02:04:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/basketball\/?p=34419"},"modified":"2023-04-10T12:32:24","modified_gmt":"2023-04-10T02:32:24","slug":"white-hot-whitcomb-wills-willetton-past-lakeside","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/basketball\/white-hot-whitcomb-wills-willetton-past-lakeside\/","title":{"rendered":"White-hot Whitcomb wills Willetton past Lakeside"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ALTHOUGH many competitions were halted over the Easter break, the NBL1 West Women’s fixture rolled on, with Sami Whitcomb<\/a> producing a standout performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After dominating out west with the Perth Lynx<\/a> in the WNBL, Whitcomb remained at home for a campaign with the Willetton Tigers, whom she led to a 28-point win over the Lakeside Lightning at Willetton Basketball Stadium on Thursday night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Tigers came into the match with one win and one loss next to their name, eager to bounce back after a tough loss to the Cougars to close out Round 1. Lakeside had the same record under similar circumstances, making neither side a clear favourite. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although it was shaping up as a contest that could go either way, the Tigers stormed out of the gates with a 33-10 opening term, which ended up setting the tone for the match. It was not as one-sided of a contest for the rest of the match, but the Lightning did not end up making up the difference in the final three quarters, with the home side emerging 100-72 winners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whitcomb was the match’s strongest performer, combining well with Alex Sharp<\/a> to lead Willetton to victory. Although the latter had a say on the game as well, it was Whitcomb that caught the eye with her outstanding two-way showing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Willetton Tigers (100) def. Lakeside Lightning (72)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sami Whitcomb – 31 points, five rebounds, seven assists, seven steals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Whitcomb’s class came to the forefront in the win over Lakeside, showcasing her talent in a number of facets of the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Led by an impressive points total of 31 (which was also a game-high figure), Whitcomb’s offensive presence was felt in a big way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She shot 11\/17 from the field, including 3\/5 from behind the arc, despite some constant attention from the opposition defence. The veteran import produced an array of shots from all over the half-court, making her unpredictable to guard. The 34-year-old also went a perfect 6\/6 from the free throw line, capping off an impressive scoring game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She was also able to get her teammates involved thanks to her experience in the game and ability to make well-weighted passes that avoided the defence’s grasp. She found Sharp on a number of occasions and generated plenty of offence with her decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whitcomb was also a menace on the defensive end, hounding any Lakeside player with possession of the ball. Her ability to stay in front of the ball handler resulted in a number of steals, as did her terrific reading of opposition passes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite being in the twilight of her career, Whitcomb showed that she still has the capability to take over a match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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