Geelong’s venom breaks Bendigo’s spirit in WNBL stunner

Jasper Bruce |

Mackenzie Holmes picked up 27 points and eight rebounds in Geelong’s upset win over Bendigo.
Mackenzie Holmes picked up 27 points and eight rebounds in Geelong’s upset win over Bendigo.

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.

The Spirit can still guarantee a top-two finish if they beat the Lynx and first-placed Townsville Fire in their final two games of the regular season.

But lose both and they will finish third and could be forced to travel to Perth or Townsville twice in their best-of-three semi-final series.

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.

Kelsey Griffin (15 points) led the scoring for Bendigo, hitting all of her first four attempts from beyond the arc.

Kelsey Griffin of the Spirit
Kelsey Griffin led the scoring for the Spirit but couldn’t guide her side to victory over Geelong. (Richard Wainwright/AAP PHOTOS)

Geelong’s stunning win followed victories over the Spirit’s fellow heavyweights Perth and Townsville earlier in the season.

It would be enough to leave the Venom wondering what might have been but for a cruel run of injuries.

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.

Bendigo’s Kelsey Rees went off after a heavy collision at the top of the key in the final quarter, but appeared in good spirits on the bench.

AAP