THE Sydney Uni Flames scored nine of the last 12 points of Friday night’s game at the Bendigo Stadium to inflict the Bendigo Bank Spirit’s first defeat of the WNBL season.
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The 74-69 result was also the Flames’ first victory of the season.
The hot shooting early of the Spirit, now 2-1, deserted them after quarter-time.
The home side burst out of the blocks with a 32-point opening quarter on 13-of-18 shooting from the field to lead by 12 at the first break.
However, the Spirit only added 37 more points over the last three quarters, in which they shot just 15-of-47.
“It was a wasted opportunity tonight. We had them by the throat and let them off the hook,” disappointed Spirit coach Simon Pritchard said.
“We took too many perimeter shots and just didn’t get enough ball inside.”
The Spirit led by a game-high 14 points during the second quarter, but by half-time the Flames had reduced the deficit to six.
The second half became an arm-wrestle, but when the game was on the line in the last two minutes, it was the Flames who made the crucial plays.
The Spirit led 66-65 with 2:20 left after a Blake Dietrick jumper, but the Flames then responded with back-to-back three-pointers to Alex Wilson that gave the ascendancy to Sydney Uni.
Pritchard was scathing post-match of the Spirit’s turnovers (15), and their poor free-throw shooting (8-of-16), while the Flames made 17-of-20.
Import Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe (17 points) again led the Spirit scoring, while Kerryn Harrington added 15 points.
Harrington was dominant early, scoring 10 of the Spirit’s first 16 points.
The Spirit did well to contain Sydney Uni star Leilani Mitchell to 13 points, while former Spirit player Belinda Snell had seven points.