After the Bendigo Spirit's 15-point loss to the Southside Flyers, co-captain Tessa Lavey has promised the team will come out fighting this weekend.
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In the game on Saturday night the Spirit were down 23 points to the Flyers at three-quarter time, but managed to reduce the defect to 15 points by the end of the game.
"We've done it all season, we had to recognise it early (Flyers' strong start) but we didn't," Lavey said.
"Moving forward we will do the same thing we've been doing. Work hard, focus on defensive drills and our rotations.
"It was inexcusable to be honest, come Perth on Friday night, it will be a different story."
The Spirit will play their final home game of the season on Friday night at the Bendigo Stadium against the Perth Lynx.
Spirit's Abbey Wehrung said the team could have put on a stronger defensive performance against the Flyers.
"Defensively we could have done a lot better, we let them get away when they wanted," Wehrung said.
"Another defensive let down for us, but we clawed back a little bit so there are some positives to take from it.
"We made shots and people were aggressive when they needed to be, that's what got us back in the game."
The team was without import Martè Grays who is recovering from a hamstring injury and Gabe Richards who has been sidelined due to a concussion sustained earlier in the season.
However, irrespective of being without key players, Lavey said it was not to the Spirit's hindrance.
"Import or not, we're prepared to play very hard and we never go into a game thinking we're going to lose," Lavey said.
"We have a belief every game that we can win whether or not we have our imports, this is something Tracy and Mark have really instilled within the group."
Lavey said when key players were sidelined it provided others with an opportunity of more court time.
"It gives players opportunities which they may not get at other clubs," she said.
"It's great we have that growth in players and hopefully it shows in the off season when they go off and play in different teams and show what they've learnt."
When the Spirit hit the court on Friday night, two of the team's players will be celebrating major milestones.
Gabe Richards will be on the court for her last career game with the Spirit after the announcement of her retirement, which coincides with her 250th WNBL match.
While captain Kelly Wilson will make history by playing her 395th WNBL game to set a new league record.
Bendigo Spirit v Perth Lynx, Friday at the Bendigo Stadium, tip-off at 7pm.
READ MORE: Spirit fans urged to honour club legends
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