Match Report: Lightning top Caps in thriller

27/NOV/2006 – The Adelaide Quit Lightning hosted a top of the table clash against the Canberra TransACT Capitals on Friday night for the defencejobs Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). The game, played at the Dome in Adelaide saw Adelaide take the win and top spot on the league ladder 81-75.

defencejobs Opals team mates Tully Bevilaqua and Erin Phillips top scored for their respective teams, Bevilaqua scoring 21 and dishing six assists, whilst Phillips continued on her brilliant form, with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

The first quarter saw Canberra jump out of the blocks quickly, and aided by a 10-1 run halfway through the term, gained the upper hand. Bevilaqua and new recruit Abby Bishop were doing the most damage to the Lightning, who were struggling to find a rhythm, shooting at only 21% for the term. Captain Sam Woosnam and Phillips were the main scorers for the home side, Kellie Abrams launching a prayer three point shot on the buzzer only to see it drain through the net, allowing Canberra to go into the first break 26-15.

The second quarter could have spelled disaster for Adelaide, Kristen Rasmussen going down with a serious ankle injury with 7:07 left to play in the second quarter, coach Chris Lucas immediately calling a time out to settle his charges, who at the time were down by 11 points, 19-30.

Adelaide rallied strongly over the next five minutes, going on a 15-6 run, Tracey Gahan stepping up, scoring six of those points. Phillips also continued to score when needed, and the insertion of Lauren King and Nerrida Cooper proved to be pivotal in the Lightning resurrection. Canberra were finding it hard to create scoring options, Bevilaqua, Bishop and Beatty the only players to find the basket more than once during the term.

When Abrams sent Phillips to the line with only 30 seconds left to play in the half with the score at 38-40, the crowd were stunned into silence as Phillips first free throw missed, the second finding the net to bring the score to 39-40, and when Phillips made a clutch basket with only three seconds remaining, the Lightning went into the change rooms with a psychological edge of an 11 point comeback.

The third term saw Phillips and Bishop trading baskets, neither team seeming able to make any headway. Canberra then broke loose, going on a 8-2 run to see them pull ahead 49-45 with 6:43 to play. Lauren King coming off the bench then continued to show why she was recruited to Adelaide, playing tough defence, but also coming up with crucial baskets, first of all to bring the Lightning back to within two points, then to break back into the lead at 4:07.

Bishop scored to take back the lead for the Capitals, and when Jess Foley made a basket followed by one from Gahan, Adelaide wrestled back the lead, which they then held onto for the rest of the match. Adelaide closed out the stanza with eight consecutive points, triples from both Foley and King, with Rebecca Duke scoring a basket just before the final break, the home side ahead 63-56.

Canberra started to close the gap at the start of the final term, Bevilaqua and Abrams both hitting triples, broken by Adelaide baskets from Duke and Foley. Some tough defence from Canberra and two baskets in a row from former Lightning player Tracey Beatty saw Canberra claw back to be within two points with 2:48 to go. Gahan continued to score, and with just under a minute left, had the lead back out to 76-70. Abrams hit another triple to narrow it back to a deficit of three for the Capitals.

With them then forced into fouling to stop the clock to try and hold on, accurate free throw shooting from the Adelaide captain and also from Phillips helped them secure the win, and top spot on the WNBL ladder.

Coach Chris Lucas was full of praise for his team after the game, when asked about the comeback from 10 down in the second quarter.

"We talked about it at half time and the girls showed tremendous character to get themselves back into the game."

He was also full of praise for the visiting team, saying "it was always going to be a great contest against Canberra, they are great defenders."

When asked about an early prognosis for Rasmussen's ankle he said "it is either broken or a really bad ankle, and either way we are looking at 3-6."

"Nerrida Cooper and Rebecca Duke came in and gave us valuable minutes when we had people in foul trouble", Coach Lucas continued when asked about his bench players and their role in the comeback. "It was a good team effort and I am really proud of all the girls" he concluded about the match.

ADELAIDE QUIT LIGHTNING 81 (Phillips 19, Foley 16, Gahan 15, King 13, Woosnam 10) defeated CANBERRA TransACT CAPITALS 75 (Bevilaqua 21, Bishop 18, Beatty 14, Abrams 13).

Game MVP : Erin Phillips

Report by Shaun Hughes.