THE Bendigo Bank Spirit began its second season in the Women’s National Basketball League on Saturday night with a new-look team.
Of the five players who started Saturday night’s game against Canberra at the Schweppes Centre, only captain Gabe Richards was part of the Spirit’s inaugural roster last season.
Richards was joined in the Spirit starting five by recruits Eleanor Haring, Dee Butler, Kelly Wilson and Hanna Zavecz.
With a new-look side that has only been together for just over a month, it was always going to be a tough ask first-up to take on the perennial power, Canberra.
And that proved to be the case as the Capitals led for 36 of the 40 minutes in posting their 65-51 win.
While the margin may have only been 14 points, the Capitals looked in control most of the night and capable of weathering any challenge the Spirit threw at them.
Haring opened the scoring for the Spirit’s 2008-09 season when she made a long-range jump shot one minute in to score the first points of the game.
The Spirit led 6-5 with 5:42 remaining in the first quarter, but when Marianna Tolo made a two-point shot with 4:36 left, it gave the Capitals the lead and they would hold the ascendancy for the rest of the game.
Canberra’s height - the Capitals had three players over 190cm, the Spirit had none - always loomed as the biggest danger to Bendigo.
The signs were ominous right from the outset as the Capitals had 15 rebounds to seven by quarter-time, in which they led 20-11, with Bendigo making just five-of-20 field goals in the first term.
Facing a nine-point deficit, the Spirit made a charge at the Capitals in the second term and inside the first 4:06 had gone on an 11-4 run to cut Canberra’s advantage to just two, 24-22.
However, the Spirit was unable to get any closer as the Capitals hit back, with the response led by recruit Michelle Musselwhite and 190cm Abby Bishop, who finished with a game-high 14 rebounds.
When Jessica Bibby hit a three-pointer - her third for the game - on the buzzer, the Capitals had built a 40-28 half-time lead.
Just like it did in the second quarter, the Spirit issued the challenge again to the Capitals in the third term.
The Spirit scored eight of the first 10 points of the quarter, with the Capitals only scoring once in the first 5:55 of the term.
Included in the Spirit surge early in the third quarter was a three-pointer to Richards.
Richards’ shot would be the Spirit’s only three-pointer for the game.
With its 8-2 run sparked by a lift in defensive intensity, the Spirit had drawn within six points, 42-36 with 7:07 left, but just like the second term, the composed Capitals responded, although they were helped by Bendigo turning the ball over at costly times.
The Capitals went into three quarter-time ahead 49-40, with seven of their nine points in the third term from foul shots.
Canberra then ended any hope the Spirit had of a revival by opening the last quarter with a 9-1 run to shore up a valuable away victory.
The only points Bendigo scored in the first 5:44 of the final quarter was a free-throw to Haring.
Haring was a shining light for the Spirit in her debut match, scoring 15 points in 35 minutes, showing she possesses a dangerous shot, plus is capable of scoring in the paint.
Richards battled hard, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds, as well as having the tough job of guarding 202cm former Opals squad member Tracey Beatty, who had eight points and seven rebounds.
The tenacious Kelly Wilson was the only other Spirit player to score in double figures, also finishing with 10 points.
The Spirit, which was beaten 48-29 in the rebound count, had Zavecz and Lauren King both foul out in the last quarter.
Musselwhite (15) and Bibby (13) led the scoring for the Capitals, who got 23 points off their bench, compared to the Spirit’s six.
“A win is a win and we will take it however we can get it,’’ Canberra coach Carrie Graf said.
“It’s obvious that it will take both sides some time to gel offensively, with new players added to the line-ups.’’
Canberra, which yesterday beat Bulleen 89-73, has now won three of its four encounters with the Spirit.
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