GRILL’D POST-GAME REPORT SEMI FINAL 2
The Deakin Melbourne Boomers headed into a win-or-go-home Game 2 of the Cygnett WNBL Semi-Finals, having lost game 1 to the Southside Flyers 72 hours beforehand. The Flyers were without star import Kayla Thornton which left a huge hole in their line-up. The Boomers had the momentum and home crowd behind them from the start and tied the series 1-1 winning, 96-77.
Cygnett WNBL MVP Cayla George started the game off with a lay-up under the rim and went on to score the first five points of the game. Maddi Rocci of the Flyers was on the receiving end of a hard block from Kristy Wallace which saw her leave the court early in the game. The Boomers got out to a 7-0 lead early which forced Flyers coach Cheryl to call a time-out to stop the momentum. Unfortunately, this did not stop the Boomers as they’d bought a different energy tonight. Tiffany Mitchell found her groove late in the quarter and Penina Davidson was a livewire off the bench for the Boomers. The defensive pressure was too much for the Flyers as their offense began to crack and the Boomers led 27-13 at the first break.
It was a slow start from both teams to begin the second however, the Boomers got going once again led by Wallace and George. Leilani Mitchell contributed off the bench early with four points. The Boomers continued to build their lead as George proved why she was a deserving winner of the Cygnett WNBL MVP by finishing the half at 60% FG & 3PT. The end of the half was highlighted by a 3-point buzzer-beater from Wallace, which saw the Boom Box erupt and gave the Boomers positive momentum heading into the second half.
Mitchell started the third off for the Boomers with a bang with a tough bucket under the rim and converted the and 1 to stretch the lead out to 19 points. Sara Blicavs, Bec Cole, and Rocci started to tick the scoreboard over for the Flyers as the Boomers let them get some easy shots away. Olivia Nelson-Ododa was strong in the paint for the Boomers all night and this was no different in the third however, she ran into foul trouble early in the quarter which saw Davidson replace her on the floor. Rocci and Abbey Bishop cut the Boomers lead to just nine with 3 minutes remaining in the third however, it was Davidson who turned the game around for the Boomers; in the space of a minute she sunk 2 free-throws, grabbed a crucial offensive board and converted a bucket under the rim, then intercepted a pass to convert a lay-up in transition to take the Boomers lead out to 17.
The momentum looked to be all with the Boomers heading into the final quarter. George, Wallace, and Mitchell continued to be a dangerous trio on the offensive end. Despite the Flyers looking to their bench for some quick scoring, the Boomers tied the series 1-1 with a convincing 96-77 win.
Kristy Wallace and Cayla George put their Game 1 efforts behind them to combine for a total of 55 points. Wallace was rewarded with Player of the Game and finished with 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists; George finished with 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists; Mitchell played a tough game and ended with 18 points and 4 rebounds; while Davidson shot a perfect night with 13 points.
The Boomers will head down the highway to the State Basketball Centre for Game 3 of the semi-final series on Wednesday 15th March at 7:30pm. They will look to wrap the semi-final series with a win and advance to the Cygnett WNBL Grand Final series. You can watch it live on ESPN and Kayo.