Bendigo Spirit have stormed home for their seventh win of the season, downing Adelaide Lightning 71-65.<\/p>\n
Both teams went tit-for-tat as 16 lead changes occurred in the first three quarters.<\/p>\n
But fatigue ultimately set in, and Bendigo went on a 19-0 run late in the third quarter and into the fourth to seal victory at the Red Energy Arena on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The Lightning’s shooting proved costly as they slotted just 35 per cent of field goals.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
“After 24 hours getting to know the girls, seeing how they respond in pressure moments, the vibe is good,” Parham-Ammar said.<\/p>\n
“We’ve got a lot of room for improvement, which is a beautiful thing. We’ve got some young players, and my message is just have fun.”<\/p>\n
Bendigo’s Izzy Borlase was yet again influential, dominating the paint against her old side as she complemented 27 points with three steals.<\/p>\n
Young gun Olivia Pollerd (14 points, six rebounds) and veteran Kelsey Griffin (13 points, eight rebounds) also worked the floor, improving the side’s record to 7-2 after losing Opals star Marianna Tolo due to pregnancy.<\/p>\n
Coach Kennedy Kereama admitted all options were open to find Tolo’s replacement.<\/p>\n
Though the coach has bigs like Pollerd and Kelsey Rees at his disposal, he is on the lookout for new talent. <\/p>\n
This includes players from New Zealand’s WNBL equivalent competition, which will finish in December.<\/p>\n
“For me, the right person is really critical for our program,” Kereama said. <\/p>\n
“It has to be someone who fits our community, our culture, our team, and is prepared to play a role. <\/p>\n
“Right now, we’ll back our people in.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Kereama praised Bendigo’s defensive display after Adelaide led 46-43 at the main break, before Bendigo held them to just 19 points in the second half.<\/p>\n
“Particularly the last five minutes of the third quarter and the fourth defensively were great,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Our bigs did a great job of making it a lot easier for our guards to build the wall.”<\/p>\n
The Lightning’s Sania Feagin secured her eighth double-digit performance, adding another 26 points to her tally, while Steph Talbot fell one point short of a double-double (9 points, 11 rebounds).<\/p>\n
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