The WNBL’s top-two race has been blown wide open after cellar-dwellers Geelong Venom stunned Bendigo Spirit with an 80-73 home win.
Alissa Pili, Shyla Heal and Mackenzie Holmes all passed 20 points as Geelong moved off the bottom of the ladder and handed the Spirit a loss that could haunt them as the post-season approaches.
Bendigo have now fallen into third place behind Perth Lynx on percentage after giving up 17 turnovers and disappointing their coach defensively.
Friday’s game was a tit-for-tat affair before Holmes (27 points, eight rebounds) and Pili (26 points, five rebounds) helped Geelong kick clear.
The Venom pieced together a 14-0 run that straddled three-quarter time to open up a 12-point lead in the final term.
Bendigo cut the deficit to four points before Pili, soon to fly out to watch brother Brandon play in next month’s Super Bowl, nailed a clutch triple as the last 90 seconds approached.
Heal (20 points) lit up the paint early, while Jaz Shelley (seven rebounds, seven assists) was a defensive menace for the Venom.
Shelley notably threw down a textbook block on Isobel Borlase as the MVP candidate shot for three with the Spirit chasing points.
Geelong’s stunning win followed victories over the Spirit’s fellow heavyweights Perth and Townsville earlier in the season.
“I’m just really pleased for the girls, I thought our attitude coming into the game today was super,” said coach Chris Lucas.
He said he “absolutely” wondered what might have been this season had the Venom not been plagued by a cruel run of injuries.
“(But) at the end of the day, we can’t change where we’re at,” Lucas said.
The Venom move into sixth on the ladder, ahead of Adelaide and Sydney on percentage, but with the same 6-15 record.
A big win over the Flames on Sunday would likely be enough to avoid the wooden spoon in their second season since relocating from Melbourne.
Jasper Bruce, AAP
