Basketball On The Internet.

DID you miss our daily WNBL game-by-game summaries during Round 11? Not to worry. You can find them all on the site or just take a look at our WNBL Wrap blog here. Twin road losses by Perth may really sting in the Lynx's run home without star import Aari McDonald while Sydney's 1-1 round keeps it very much in the Final Four hunt.

HOW important are good starts in the first quarter? Round 11's opening night of WNBL matches had initial quarters which could not have been of greater contrast, yet both determined exactly how those matches would play out.

Abbey Wehrung paced Bendigo to a big win over Adelaide and Sami Whitcomb powered Townsville past Melbourne.

In the case of the Spirit against Lightning, Bendigo burst from the blocks like a 100-metre runner on steroids to lead 33-15 at the end of the first period. Game over.

In the case of the Fire, they contained Melbourne to 10 first-quarter points and to only one made field goal (from 15 attempts) in the period. Game over. 

Adelaide led the Spirit 6-2 before Bendigo clicked into gear with an initial 8-0 run for a 10-6 lead.

Then with Abbey Wehrung knocking down two 3-pointers in her eight-point first quarter - she would go 4-of-6 from beyond the arc - and Casey Samuels making one of her 3-of-3 triples in her seven-point quarter, Bendigo erased all trace of the Lightning's main crew.

A further 12-0 run built its 16-11 buffer to 28-11 before Lightning benchie Brooke Basham knocked down a couple of shots to suggest there may still be some resistance.

Basham finished with a career-high 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting, Adelaide responding with a 25-18 second quarter to be alive at halftime, albeit on life support.

Bendigo switched that off with a 20-10 third period, Wehrung finishing with 18 points at 63 per cent, Samuels' 13 also at 63 per cent, Ally Wilson with 12 points and nine assists, Ruth Davis with 11 points and nine rebounds.

Dishing a season-high team record 31 assists, Bendigo's stat stood out even more obviously compared to Adelaide's 10 for the game.

MELBOURNE started behind the 8-ball with coach Chris Lucas and returning PG Kristy Wallace both absent due to COVID protocols.

The Boomers' inability to convert even the easiest of shots in their 1-of-15 first quarter dropped them into a night-long game of catch-up which, against the defending champion and league-leading Townsville, was never a good place to be.

Keely Froling led something of an early second quarter rally but with Zitina Aokuso en route to 17 points at 78 per cent and Sami Whitcomb scoring 16 points alongside six rebounds, six assists and four steals, the Fire were 14 clear at halftime.

They led by as many as 17, Mikaela Ruef hauling in 16 rebounds while also going a stunning 0-of-13 from the floor, her game resembling a Dennis Rodman of the Chicago Bulls performance.

Melbourne worked to make a game of it, drawing the deficit to in-and-around 10 but with star import Jordin Canada trying to do too much and forcing plays, and several of her teammates making diabolical decisions when the Boomers looked almost capable of firing back, this truly was done-and-dusted early. 

BENDIGO SPIRIT 96 (Wehrung 18, Samuels 13, A.Wilson 12, Froling 11, Davis 10; Davis 9 rebs; A.Wilson 9 assts) d ADELAIDE LIGHTNING 68 (Borlase 16, Basham 13, Willoughby, Bourne 12; Turner 11 rebs; Turner 4 assts at Red Energy Arena. Crowd: 414

TOWNSVILLE FIRE 69 (Aokuso 17, Whitcomb 16, Woods 12, Reid 11, Zahui B 10; Ruef 16 rebs; Reid 7 assts) d MELBOURNE BOOMERS 57 (Froling 16, Canada 13, Hillmon 11; Hillmon 9 rebs; Froling, Canada 4 assts) at Melbourne Sports Centre. Crowd: 1,496

UNI of CANBERRA did it again last night, this time collecting Perth's scalp and unsettling the Lynx's hopes of clinging onto a top four spot, Alex Sharp slicing the visitors to ribbons with a monster 25-point, 19-rebound tour de force. How she is absent from the 20-player Opals squad for next month's Olympic qualifiers in Brazil is a mystery.

Oh no wait, that's right, just remembered - the squad was selected on reputation, not form. My mistake.

Because if form mattered, Perth's Amy Atwell, who led the Lynx with 29 points, also would be under consideration, not an omission.

Jade Melbourne, who rightly IS in the squad, again had a big night with 24 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and a steal, her five turnovers the only cause for minor alarm.

Holding the initiative going into the final period, Perth still enjoyed the upper hand leading 67-63 on an Atwell layup inside the last five minutes. The lead could have been greater but Emily Potter (10 points on 5-of-14 shooting) simply did not convert close-in baskets that she should have.

It came back to bite the Lynx.

Gemma Potter's 3-pointer (she swished 3-of-4 in her 11-point tally) had the Canberra faithful in full  voice before Alex Ciabattoni drove to restore the Lynx's cushion to three points.

When Monica Okoye landed a big three, it was 71-71 but, heading toward the final two minutes, Potter stroked another to give the Capitals a 74-71 lead.

Atwell trimmed two points back from the free throw line but Melbourne scored the Caps' next seven points, a drive, a 3-point swish and two free throws, leaving Ciabattoni's bucket as Perth's solitary interruption.

UNI of CANBERRA CAPITALS 81 (Sharp 25, Melbourne 24, Potter 11, Fowler 10; Sharp 19 rebs; Melbourne 8 assts) d PERTH WILDCATS 75 (Atwell 29, Maley 12, Potter 10; Potter, Maley 12 rebs; Ciabattoni 4 assts) at National Convention Centre. Crowd: 1,756 

VICTORIAN clubs Southside Flyers and Melbourne Boomers have asserted themselves in no uncertain manner over preseason championship favourite Sydney and league-leading Townsville respectively, the "GOAT", Lauren Jackson running into the best shooting form of her WNBL return. 

Jackson scored a season-best 28 points on 10-of-14 shooting, or 71 per cent if you prefer, as the floundering Flyers tried something different, benching starter Nyadiew Puoch for veteran Leilani Mitchell.

The latter responded with 13 points at 50 per cent, plus six assists and three steals and while Sydney managed to keep Mercedes Russell from having her usual boards influence - she still grabbed seven rebounds - her 12 points came at 67 per cent.

Flames centre Cayla George tied the game at 62-62 in the last quarter but Jasmine Dickey (8 points, 8 rebounds 4 assists) scored a jumper, then two free throws to give Southside breathing space.

Vanessa Panousis' three trimed it it 65-66 for Sydney before Jackson pushed the lead back to three and Bec Cole doubled it with a triple for 71-65.

Dickey pulled the deficit back again but Jackson scored four straight points for a 75-67 buffer Sydney could not close.

Lauren Nicholson battled gamely, pairing 17 points with eight assists, Didi Richards offering solid support with 16 points at 70 per cent and four assists.

SOUTHSIDE FLYERS 79 (Jackson 28, Mitchell 13, Russell 12; Dickey 8 rebs; Mitchell 6 assts) d SYDNEY FLAMES 73 (Nicholson 17, Richards 16, George 10; George 7 rebs; Nicholson 8 assts) at State Basketball Centre. Crowd: 1,804

MISSING coach Chris Lucas and Opals/WNBA guard Kristy Wallace due to Covid protocols, Melbourne took a 12-point welt from defending champion and league-leading Townsville in Melbourne on Wednesday.

With Lucas back and several adjustments made, the Boomers looked a completely different outfit from tip-off of Saturday's rematch, Naz Hillmon (24 points at 57 per cent, 12 rebounds, 2 assists) opening the scoring off a Sara Blicavs feed.

Defensively, the Boomers were considerably focused and robust, Monique Conti harassing Steph Reid, Jordin Canada taking the points from foul-hamstrung Sami Whitcomb, and Keely Froling shutting down Mikaela Ruef.

Noted mostly for her boards activity, Ruef was restricted to four rebounds - she had 16 on Wednesday - and five points, plus four turnovers, Froling's confidence growing as she continued on to score 19 at 50 per cent, grab six rebounds, snare three steals while throwing in a block and an assist for good measure.

Another big factor on Wednesday, Courtney Woods was well contained as Blicavs also played patient offence, returning 11 points at 63 per cent.

Hillmon waged interior war with Zitina Aokuso and it was evenly poised at halftime, even though Melbourne had bumped its 25-16 first quarter lead to 47-35.

Aokuso had 13 points at halftime but as Amanda Zahui B suffered a leg injury that saw her leaving the game on crutches, fatigue was going to be a factor.

Hillmon thrived on it as did Penina Davidson before she suffered what appeared to be a calf tear, taking some gloss from the win.

But the further this game progressed, the further Melbourne burst clear, Conti and Aimie Rocci both providing experience and control, other than with a few customary wild passes.

The third quarter was Melbourne's finest, keeping Townsville scoreless while adding 15 points to turn a 12-point interval buffer into a burgeoning 27-point lead.

The lead out to 39 at one stage, the Fire merely could muster a 10-point third quarter and a 13-point last as Melbourne clinched this season-series 2-1 with a 48-point turnaround from Wednesday's clash.

Unfortunately the WNBL's ridiculous draw, which has too many games in far too many short periods, contributed to both title contenders losing a key player (Zahui B and Davidson), tragically most likely for the duration.    

MELBOURNE BOOMERS 94 (Hillmon 24, Froling 19, Canada 17, Blicavs 11, Conti 10; Hillmon 12 rebs; Canada 10 assts) d TOWNSVILLE FIRE 58 (Brown, Aokuso 13, Reid, Whitcomb 8; Aokuso 7 rebs; Reid 7 assts) at Melbourne Sports Centres. Crowd: 1,620

D​O not be surprised if Perth challenges the result against Sydney with the WNBL after a basket ruled as a 3-pointer wrongly was adjusted to a two by scoretable officials, a point mistakenly then added to the Flames' score, with that error fixed later but no additional point added back to the Lynx's score.

In a result vital to both teams' playoff aspirations and in what turned into a three-point win for the Flames, expect little more than a minor investigation and a shrug from the WNBL, Sydney's Cayla George posting her best game of the season.

Perhaps buoyed by Lauren Jackson's 28-point bonanza for Southside against Sydney earlier in the round, George delivered a 28-point, 10-rebound double, plus three assists.

The "Pink Hoops" day raising breast cancer awareness at Qudos Bank Arena turned into a golden day for Guy Molloy's Flames' starters as George, Lauren Nicholson, Paige Bradley, Tess Madgen and Didi Richards pulled Sydney clear, before 3-pointers by Emma Clarke and Bradley created a 24-16 edge.

Perth dragged it back to 41-45 by halftime, Amy Atwell on her way to a 22-point game with three threes, McKenzie Clinch Hoycard also draining three triples amid her 13-point return.

Atwell tied the game at 80-80 inside the final minute, Bradley's 3-pointer bringing the growing crowd - the game was an NBL double-header with the Kings - to full voice.

Canadian centre Emily Potter twice brought the Lynx to within a point at 82-83 and again at 84-85, her buckets split by a Nicholson basket.

And as the Lynx worked to stop the clock, it was Nicholson from the free throw line who gave Sydney its much-needed home win.

SYDNEY FLAMES 87 (George 28, Bradley 18, Richards 17, Nicholson 12; George 10 rebs; Bradley 6 assts) d PERTH LYNX 84 (Atwell 22, Potter 16, Goodchild 14, Clinch-Hoycard 13, Ciabattoni 11; Maley 13 rebs; Maley 5 assts) at Qudos Bank Arena. Crowd: 5,138

SCORES locked 45-45 at halftime, Bendigo produced its best third quarter of the year against burgeoning Canberra, smacking the Capitals with a 30-11 onslaught to put this result beyond doubt.

No-one saw it coming either, Alex Sharp giving Canberra a 47-45 lead before Kelsey Griffin (25 points at 58 per cent, 2-of-3 threes, seven boards) nailed a 3-pointer for Bendigo.

That started a whopping 15-0 run for the Spirit, racing them to a 60-47 edge from which the Caps did not recover.

Griffin had 10 of her game-high 25 points in the third period but Canberra was besieged from every angle, seven Bendigo players scoring across the 10-minute avalanche.

Bendigo forced 16 turnovers and only coughed up the ball itself five times, and also contained Canberra to 37 per cent shooting with 7-of-26 from beyond the arc.

The Spirit also shared the ball beautifully, dishing 23 assists on 30 made baskets to nine, Kelly Wilson leading the way with seven assists, Mehryn Kraker and Ally Wilson with six apiece.

BENDIGO SPIRIT 88 (Griffin 25, Kraker 13, A.Wilson, Froling 12; Griffin 7 rebs; Kraker, A.Wilson 6 assts) d UNI of CANBERRA CAPITALS 66 (Melbourne 15, Fowler 10, Sharp 9; Sharp 12 rebs; Melbourne 5 assts) at Red Energy Arena. Crowd: 685