THE second-placed Australia Pork Bendigo Spirit eyes a fourth consecutive win in Friday night's Women's National Basketball League clash against Sydney Uni Flames at Bendigo Stadium.
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Spirit's latest winning run tipped off when it scored an 11-point victory on the Flames' court in round eight.
A Bendigo attack led by the likes of Belinda Snell, Kelsey Griffin, Kelly Wilson and Gabe Richards will be determined to keep the heat on the Flames defence all match.
9.06pm: The Sydney Uni Flames fought back from a 14-2 deficit after just over four minutes in this contest to score a 67-60 victory on the Bendigo Spirit's court at Bendigo Stadium.
While the Flames fired up after a poor start, Bendigo's play went the other way dramatically.
Spirit led 28-22 at quarter-time, but then added nine, 12 and 11 points in the next three quarters.
The loss was a significant blow in Spirit's attempt to keep clear of the chasing pack in the top four, while Sydney bounced back from a hat-trick of defeats in fine style.
Sydney's attack was led by Katie-Rae Ebzery 19 points, Casey Samuels 18 points, and Mikaela Ruef 10 points.
Spirit's Sara Blicavs and Gabe Richards scored 18 and 17 points respectively, but from there Bendigo battled to put enough offensive pressure on the Flames.
9.01pm: Belinda Snell adds two for Spirit from foul-line, but it's Sydney Flames which celebrate a 67-60 victory.
9pm: Flames by nine after Ruef sinks both shots at foul-line.
8.59pm: Tuapea adds one from foul line. Sydney by seven.
8.57pm: Mitchell adds two from foul line. Flames by six at 25 seconds to play.
8.56pm: Blicavs adds one from foul line. Sydney up by four at 27 seconds to go.
8.56pm: Ruef adds one point at free-throw line. Sydney by five.
8.54pm: Sydney still leads by four at 31 seconds to go.
8.53pm: Flames lead 61-57 at 58 seconds to play.
8.50pm: Flames by four at 2.17 to play after Hayley Moffat adds two from jump shot.
8.49pm: Sydney hits front after two by Ezbery is followed by a three by her. Flames up 59-57.
8.47pm: Gabe Richards scores two from jump shot after Samuels attempt from three-point range is off target. Bendigo up 55-52 at 4.18 to play.
8.46pm: Flames add another point after technical foul against Bendigo. Spirit leads 53-52 at 5.23 to play.
8.43pm: Samuels sinks three-point shot to put Flames back within two at 5.41 to play.
8.42pm: Spirit leads by five at just under 6 1/2 minutes to go.
8.41pm: Bendigo Spirit leads 53-48 after Blicavs, two, and Griffin, two, score.
8.38pm: Spirit leads 49-48 after Ruef adds just one from foul line.
8.36pm: Ruef adds one from foul line to cut Bendigo's lead to just two points at 8.30 to play.
8.36pm: Sydney first to score in final quarter through Samuels, two.
8.33pm: Bendigo Spirit leads 49-44 at three quarter-time.
Paris Johnson cut lead to three late in term before Spirit guard Jane Chalmers connected with both foul shots at four seconds to play.
8.31pm: Sara Blicavs on target with jump shot puts Bendigo up by five at 28 seconds to go.
8.30pm: Two points by Tahlia Tuapea makes it 42-all before Gabe Richards, two, and Jane Chalmers, one at foul-line make it 45-42 in favour of Spirit.
8.27pm: Bendigo by two points at 2.22 to play.
8.26pm: Spirit 41-40 after Griffin scores two to end Sydney's first time in lead after Samuels two.
8.23pm: Spirit lead 39-38 at 4.42 to play in third quarter.
8.22pm: Sydney strikes back through Samuels, two.
8.21pm: Sara Blicavs scores two points for Bendigo. Spirit lead 39-36.
8.20pm: Sydney Flames within a point at 6.17 to go in third quarter.
8.19pm: Sydney first to score in second half through two by Ruef. Spirit up 37-34.
8.09pm: After a free-flowing and high-scoring first quarter, both attacks were remarkably off target in the second term. Bendigo added just nine points, as Sydney scored 10.
Leaders to half-time - Bendigo: Gabe Richards 11 points, 5 rebounds; Sara Blicavs 11 points, 3 rebounds; Kelsey Griffin 5 rebounds. Sydney: Katie-Rae Ebzery 11 points, Casey Samuels 9 points; Leilani Mitchell 7 points and three rebounds; Mikaela Ruef 5 rebounds.
8.05pm: Half-time. Bendigo Spirit leads Sydney Uni Flames, 37-32.
8.01pm: Ebzery connects with both shots from foul-line. Spirit leads 37-32 at 87 seconds to go.
8pm: Kelsey Griffin two stretches Bendigo's lead to seven points.
7.59pm: Chelsea Aubry scores two points off Kelly Wilson assist to put Bendigo up by five at 2.08 to play.
7.57pm: Spirit leads 33-30 at 3.27 to go in first half.
7.56pm: Sydney within three after Mikaela Ruef adds two from jump shot and another point from foul-line.
7.55pm: Maddie Garrick sinks two-point shot as Spirit leads 33-27 at 4.54 to go until half-time break
7.54pm: Spirit leads 31-27 at just over five minutes to go in first half.
7.52pm: Three-point shot by Leilani Mitchell puts Sydney within five points at 7.43 to go in half.
7.46pm: Bendigo Spirit leads 28-22 at quarter-time. Spirit attack led by Sara Blicavs, 11 points and three rebounds; and Gabe Richards, 10 points and four rebounds.
After being outgunned in opening half of the first term, Sydney struck brilliantly through play of Casey Samuels, nine points, and Katie-Rae Ebzery, seven.
7.43pm: Flames fight back strongly to trail by just six points, 19-25, just over a minute to go in first quarter.
7.37pm: Hot start by Spirit's Sara Blicavs, who has scored six points as Bendigo races to a 12-2 lead approaching the four-minute mark in the first quarter.