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BENDIGO Bank Spirit will approach today's clash against Melbourne Boomers like they would any other WNBL regular season game.
Despite bowing out of the finals race last weekend, coach Simon Pritchard said the object this weekend was to finish the season with two wins.
The Spirit round out their season after today's game at the State Basketball Centre in Melbourne with a showdown against the Perth Lynx on Sunday at Bendigo Stadium.
Pritchard said improving the win-loss ratio to 13-11 would be the goal throughout the weekend.
However, he said a repeat of last week's third quarter against Canberra, in which the Spirit were outscored 24-4, could tempt him into clearing the bench and opening up significant playing time for young back-ups Ashleigh Spencer, Molly Mathews and Ebony Rolph, and veteran Andrea Wilson.
"Particularly Ebony and Molly ... it's a good opportunity for us to see if they are really capable of WNBL standard," he said.
"Particularly on the Sunday.
"But we still want to win these two games. We want to be the hard-luck story who missed the finals by one game, as opposed to dropping the ball."
The Spirit have struggled against the Boomers over the past two seasons, despite a significant gap between the two sides on the ladder in the Spirit's favour.
With their playoff hopes long since vanished, the Boomers again will have nothing to lose.
"The are playing very relaxed basketball; we need to get them out of their comfort zone," he said.
Import Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe can cap a consistent seson with a pair of bright performances
The Canadian enters the weekend averaging team-highs in points (15.8) and rebounds (8.36).
Kelsey Griffin (15.41 ppg and 7.51 rpg) will also look to finish the season in style.
Meanwhile, Pritchard welcomed this week's announcement of a new resource sharing agreement with Bendigo Stadium Limited, which effectively guarantees the Spirit's long-term future in the WNBL.
"It's a landmark day as it's been such a long time coming," he said.
"The genesis of the team as a separate unit and a breakaway group, and now a breakaway group has come back under the main banner.
"That has set the pathways for the next 10 to 12 years for the Spirit.
"It's a positive move for everyone in Bendigo and regional Victoria.
"We've already done the work setting ourselves up as the team for country Victorian female athles, now it's a case of building on that brand and developing that brand along with the Bendigo Stadium."
Tip-off at Bendigo Stadium on Sunday is 3pm. Entry for children is free.