Lightning win first WNBL game since coach’s exit

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Lightning win first WNBL game since coach’s exit

Adelaide Lightning have held off a Canberra Capitals comeback for a dramatic 68-67 WNBL win in their first game since parting ways with coach Nat Hurst.

The Lightning had led all day on Sunday but threatened to cough up victory when Charli Collier (27 points, 22 rebounds) brought Canberra to within a point in the final 30 seconds.

But the American could not ice the fairytale fightback with her attempt at a buzzer-beating three-pointer, which bounced away to confirm the Lightning’s win.

Opals representative Isobel Borlase (22 points, eight rebounds) led the charge for the Lightning in their first game under interim coach Matthew Clarke, promoted from his role as an assistant after Adelaide’s 2-6 start.

Canberra superstar ***** Melbourne endured a tough weekend, missing all of her first 15 field goal attempts and finishing with five points and eight assists.

The Lightning are now a game clear of the last-placed Capitals (2-8) with a match in hand.

Cross-code superstar Monique Conti produced the highlight of the WNBL’s seventh round, icing Geelong United’s 88-86 overtime win over the Southside Flyers with a buzzer-beater.

With the scores locked out of a timeout in the final seconds, Conti slid past the three point arc for a long-range jump shot to seal Geelong’s second win from as many games against their intrastate rivals.

Conti had dominated the first and only ******* of overtime with five of her side’s 10 points, and finished the game with 19 to go with eight rebounds.

It was only Conti’s second game back in the WNBL after playing the AFLW season at Richmond, with whom she won the league’s best and fairest award in 2023.

Defending champions Southside had led by as many as 13 points in the second quarter before Haley Jones (27 points, eight rebounds, eight assists) took matters into her own hands, finishing just short of a triple-double.

United could not continue their winning ways into the weekend as Cayla George powered the Sydney Flames to a 81-74 win on Saturday.

Opals centre George came up with another double-double (16 points, 13 rebounds) to help the Flames stave off a United comeback in the fourth quarter.

The Flames were up by 21 points at one stage but had their lead cut back to only four in the final minutes before holding on for a third consecutive win.

Elsewhere, the Perth Lynx rebounded from back-to-back losses with a thumping 87-63 defeat of the struggling Canberra Capitals on Thursday.

Miela Sowah (24 points, seven rebounds) led all scorers as the second-placed Lynx (7-3) kept in touch with ladder-leading Bendigo Spirit, also winners in round seven.

The Spirit were made to survive a scare from the Townsville Fire but kept their unbeaten start to the season alive with a 86-80 win.

Saturday’s clash in Bendigo was tied during the final quarter before guard Veronica Burton (14 points, six assists) helped the Spirit pull away.

Against her old side, Bendigo recruit Sami Whitcomb had another influential game, finishing with 35 points, seven rebounds and six assists as the Spirit recorded a ninth win of the season.

The stage is now set for an enticing clash between the Spirit and Lynx, the only sides with winning records, next Thursday.

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