Brydens Sydney Uni Flames travelled to Alice Springs over the weekend to compete against the West Coast Waves in a hard fought battle which saw the Waves come out victors by two points.
Alice Springs Stadium reached extremely high temperatures during the match which made playing conditions tough, with the eventual final score 77-79.
The first quarter was closely contested with both teams showcasing some strong offensive plays. The Waves and the Flames were led in scoring by their point guards, with Leilani Mitchell collecting 23 points (with 5 from 8 shooting beyond the arc) and Lindsey Moore getting 25 points for her side.
Unfortunately after leading 20 -16 at quarter time with a big three point shot from Nicole How on the buzzer, the momentum swung toward West Coast toward the end of the second quarter, with the Flames being outscore 16 – 25. With scores level with 2 minutes to go before the end of the half, Toni Edmondson made a three point jump shot, followed by another outside jumper by Sarah Graham to give the Waves a 5 point lead.
The third quarter was opened with a steal by Moore for the Waves which resulted in another three pointer for Edmondson. Moore then continued her dominance on the court with a great pass to Louella Tomlinson who finished the play with an alley oop that pushed the lead to 10 points, the highest margin for the game.
The Flames were able to claw back into the game later in the third quarter with Katie Ebzery and Rohanee Cox combining for seven points in a row. They ended the period just one point down after another damaging shot by Lindsey Moore.
The teams traded baskets the entirety of the fourth quarter, both teams locking down on defence making it a low scoring term, West Coast outscoring the Flames by one point, 14-15. A jump shot by Moore took the margin to 4 points with less than a minute to go, meaning the Flames had to commit fouls to regain possession. West Coast were able to convert on these opportunities resulting in a five point lead being established in the dying seconds before Casey Samuels made a three pointer to claw the game back to within two points, however the buzzer sounded.
Mitchell was supported by her team mates, with other top scorers for the Flames being Rohanee Cox who finished with 12 points, 3 rebounds and Mikaela Ruef and Katie Ebzery who finished with 11 points.
For the Waves it was Lindsey Moore who was the clear stand out, being named WNBL player of the week for her efforts. She totalled 25 points from 7-12 shooting, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. Louella Tomlinson was also paramount in the West Coast collecting 19 points and 6 rebounds.
This result saw the Flames fall to third place on the ladder with a win/loss record of 5 -2. They will play Adelaide Lightening at home this Friday at 7pm at Brydens Stadium and will be eager to redeem themselves after a disappointing loss.
