Boomers Celebrate Maddie’s 200th With Big Win
THE DEAKIN MELBOURNE BOOMERS have grabbed their first home win of the 2018/19 Chemist Warehouse WNBL season with an impressive 17-point victory over the Sydney Flames.
Looking to bounce back after a close loss earlier in the week, the Boomers faced the Flames in the Wear Your Colours game to celebrate grassroots hoops. The clash doubled as Maddie Garrick’s 200th game in the WNBL.
The Boomer’s started off hot, jumping out to a quick 8-2 lead with three different scorers. It didn’t take long for Garrick to impact the game, burying a long corner 2 and igniting a fast break that finished with a Lindsay Allen layup.
Patient offense with plenty of passing was the theme of the quarter for the Boomers, but offensive rebounding by Sydney kept it close. A 3-pointer on the buzzer from the Flames ended the back and forth quarter with the road team leading 19-22.
The Flames drew first blood to start the second though it didn’t take long for Cayla George to respond, getting to the line and draining both. A stop and an offensive rebound leading to a Garrick score showed how many fans were here to support her on her big night.
Steph Talbot showed why she deserved her spot in the Round 4 Team of the Week by burying a long bomb with 3 minutes to play in the half. On the back of a strong run, the Boomers opened the game up and extended their lead to 47-36 heading to half time, with 11 assists on 19 made field goals – a very solid team effort.
In typical fashion, Talbot nailed a triple to open the second half for the Boomers. Garrick, George and Kalani Purcell also followed suit banging a number of 3-pointers, keeping the crowd in full voice. In a quarter highlighted by a flurry of 3’s the Boomers took a 75-57 lead heading into the final term.
In a repeat of the third quarter, it was Talbot nailing her fourth long range shot to begin the scoring for the Boomers. It was George’s night providing another highlight in the form of a steal and pull up 3 in transition to send the crowd into a frenzy. Building off their third quarter the Boomers were able to coast to a dominant 96-79 victory.
Game highs included Cayla George leading points (27), rebounds (8), steals (3) and blocks (3).
Kalani Purcell and Lindsay Allen brought the passing dishing out 5 assists each. Steph Talbot’s 20 point performance also continues her hot form.
The Boomers will now fly to Queensland in what will be the 17/18 WNBL Grand Final re-match this Sunday (November 11) at 3pm against the Townsville Fire.
WHO: Deakin Melbourne Boomers vs Townsville Fire
WHEN: Sunday November 11
TIME: 3pm tip-off
WHERE: Townsville Stadium, Annandale QLD
TICKETS: For our interstate fans or those who are making the trip up to Queensland you can purchase tickets here ($11.50 – $50).
GAME UPDATES: This game is not being televised or livestreamed. You can catch the live stats through the WNBL website and keep an eye out on our socials (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) for game updates.