A HUGE weekend for the Australia Pork Bendigo Spirit tips off in Saturday night's Women's National Basketball League match on the Sydney Flames court.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
8.41pm: Australia Pork Bendigo Spirit wins on Sydney Uni Flames court for second time this season.
Bendigo celebrates a 95-83 victory.
Gabe Richards scores a match-high 21 points for Spirit and has great support from the likes of Kelsey Griffin, 15, Sara Blicavs 13, Heather Oliver, 13, and Kelly Wilson 12.
The Flames leading scorers were captain Katie-Rae Ebzery 17, Rohanee Cox 16, Hayley Moffatt 12, Leilani Mitchell 11, and Paris Johnson 11.
A brilliant match by Richards includes game-high 13 rebounds. Kelsey Griffin won 10.
Belinda Snell dishes out eight assists as Mitchell racks up 10 for the Flames.
The Bendigo Spirit now prepares to head home for Sunday night's home game against Townsville Fire. The big clash tips off at 6pm at Bendigo Stadium in Marong Road, West Bendigo.
8.37pm: Game over. Bendigo Spirit wins 95-83. Contest ended with Aubry two at foul line and then two from Hayley Moffatt with last scoring attempt of match.
8.36pm: Casey Samuels scores three points for Sydney.
8.35pm: Spirit finishing strongly. Oliver's one at foul line followed by two from Garrick jump shot to put Bendigo up 93-78.
8.33pm: Kelly Wilson scores with second shot at charity stripe. Spirit's up 90-78.
8.33pm: Sydney's Kate Oliver scores two from jump shot. Bendigo by 11 at 72 seconds on clock.
8.32pm: Maddie Garrick hits second of free throws. Spirit leads 89-16.
8.32pm: Margin back to a dozen after Ebzery hits with both shots at foul-line.
8.31pm: Spirit by 14 after Oliver adds one at foul line. Bendigo up 88-14 at 1.34 to play.
8.30pm: Aubry adds two from foul line. Spirit by 13 at 1.48 to go.
8.29pm: Spirit leads by 12 at 1.51 to play. Oliver's two points was answered with a three by Moffatt and then another two by Moffatt.
8.28pm: Bendigo has rarely allowed Sydney to score consecutive baskets in second half. Oliver, two, replies to Ebzery three with another two points.
8.26pm: Ebzery scores three-pointer from Mitchell assist. Spirit leads 84-69 at 3.03 to go.
8.25pm: Gabe Richards adds another two points. Bendigo leads 84-66 at 3.35 to play in this match. Richards has achieved a match-high 21 points.
8.23pm: Spirit leads 82-66 at 4.29 to play.
8.22pm: Bendigo has gone to a 15-point lead after a three-pointer from Heather Oliver is followed by another two from Richards.
8.21pm: Johnson adds one from free-throw line. Spirit leads 76-66.
8.20pm: Kelsey Griffin scores with both shots at foul-line. Bendigo leads 76-65 at 6.09 to go in this match.
8.17pm: Bendigo replies through Heather Oliver. Spirit up 74-65 at 6.50 to go.
8.17pm: Mitchell scores three-pointer for the Flames to cut deficit to seven.
8.16pm: Snell sinks jump shot for another two points. Spirit leads 72-62.
8.15pm: Spirit by eight after Kelly Wilson adds one from free-throw line. Bendigo leads 70-62 at 8.16 to play.
8.14pm: Flames strike back with three-pointer by Ebzery, but Richards scores another two. Spirit leads 69-62 at 8.53 to play.
8.13pm: Excellent game by Richards rolls on. Scores opening two points of final term. Bendigo leads 69-59.
Three quarter-time - Bendigo Spirit 65 leads Sydney Flames 59.
Leading scorers - Bendigo: Gabe Richards 14, Sara Blicavs 13, Kelsey Griffin 13, Belinda Snell 8, Kelly Wilson 8. Sydney: Rohanee Cox 16, Paris Johnson 10, Katie-Rae Ebzery 9, Leilani Mitchell 6.
Gabe Richards has won a match-high 10 rebounds. Belinda Snell leads assists category on seven.
8.09pm: Leilani Mitchell scores two points for Sydney. Bendigo by six at two seconds on clock.
8.08pm: A minute to go in quarter. Spirit's up by eight.
8.07pm: Kelsey Griffin adds two from jump shot. Bendigo leads 65-57.
8.07pm: Blicavs on target from free-throw line. Spirit up 63-57 at 3.01 to play.
8.05pm: Gabe Richards has scored 14 points for Bendigo. Rohanee Cox leads Sydney's attack on 16.
8.05pm: Gabe Richards scores another two points as Bendigo leads 61-57 at just under four minutes to go in third quarter.
8.04pm: Spirit up 59-57 in free-flowing contest. Snell and Kelly Wilson on target for Bendigo, but Sydney hit back through Oliver.
8.01pm: Sydney captain Katie-Rae Ebzery scores two points from jump shot. Bendigo leads 55-53.
8pm: Gabe Richards brilliant at both ends of court. Another two by the Spirit centre puts Bendigo up 55-51 at 6.58 to play.
7.58pm: Superb start to half by Spirit. Bendigo on six-nil run. Griffin, two, and Richards, two, on target. Spirit leads 53-51 at 7.43 to go in quarter.
7.56pm: Spirit first to score in second half through Aubry, two. Flames lead 51-49.
Half-time - Sydney Flames 51 lead Bendigo Spirit 47.
Points - Sydhey: Rohanee Cox 16, Paris Johnson 10, Leilani Mitchell 6, Hayley Moffatt 5, Katie-Rae Ebzery 5, Nicole How 5, Kate Oliver 4. Bendigo: Sara Blicavs 9, Kelsey Griffin 9, Gabe Richards 8, Belinda Snell 6, Kelly Wilson 6, Chelsea Aubry 5, Heather Oliver 4.
Sydney leads rebounding duels 16-14.
7.40pm: Flames score from final attacking play of half through Moffat. Sydney leads 51-47 at half-time.
7.39pm: Sydney Flames lead 49-47 at 26 seconds to go in what's been a brilliant first half.
7.37pm: Paris Johnson scores three-pointer to put Sydney up by four, but Spirit replies with two points from Chelsea Aubry.
7.37pm: Blicavs scores two from jump shot to put Spirit within a point at 2.11 on clock.
7.34pm: Leilani Mitchell adds two from jump shot. Flames lead 46-43 at 2.33 to play.
7.32pm: Sydney in front, 43-42, after Hayley Moffatt scores one at foul-line. There's 2.59 to in half.
7.31pm: It's 43-all at 3.56 to play in half after Paris Johnson connects with both free-throws.
7.30pm: A Rohanee Cox three-pointer levelled scores on 41-all before Gabe Richards added two points for Bendigo.
7.28pm: Bendigo leads 41-38. Griffin on target for Spirit, but Sydney's Kate Oliver keeps heat on by scoring from consecutive jump shots.
7.24pm: Rohanee Cox sinks three-pointer to put Sydney within three, but Gabe Richards replies with two points for Bendigo. Spirit up 39-34 at 6.06 to go in first half.
7.23pm: Spirit leads 35-31 at 7.40 to go in half after Heather Oliver sinks both shots from free-throw line.
Bendigo leads 29-25 at quarter-time.
Spirit attack led by Sara Blicavs, seven; Kelsey Griffin, seven; and Belinda Snell, six.
Rohanee Cox leading scorer for Flames on eight points.