Australian basketball legend Lauren Jackson notched one other statistical milestone whereas guiding the Southside Flyers to a vital 81-78 street win over the Sydney Flames because the WNBL finals race heats up.
Jackson scored 15 factors in an influential show for the Flyers on Sunday and moved into the highest 10 on the league’s all-time scoring checklist.
The 42-year-old, who retired from worldwide basketball this month after serving to the Opals qualify for the Paris Olympics, has 4162 factors from 201 WNBL video games in a profession spanning 26 years.
But she remains to be properly wanting all-time main scorer and former Opals teammate Suzy Batkovic (5843).
Jackson was removed from a lone hand in Southside’s beautiful reversal in opposition to Sydney, which adopted a 21-point drubbing from the identical opponent within the earlier spherical.
Mercedes Russell (18 factors) and Leilani Mitchell (15) had been additionally outstanding in delivering a outcome that saved the Flyers (12-7) second on the ladder with only one spherical left within the common season.
Sydney dropped to fourth after a loss that got here regardless of 20-point hauls from Lauren Nicholson and Didi Richards.
The Flames have been leapfrogged by Bendigo Spirit, who accomplished a street double with a shocking 93-60 thumping of defending champions and ladder leaders Townsville Fire on Sunday.
Ally Wilson (22 factors, 10 rebounds) and Kelsey Griffin (21 factors, 14 rebounds) had been excellent for the Spirit because the guests held Townsville to simply 23 factors within the second half.
It was the Fire’s lowest rating of the season on their dwelling ground.
Chasing their first finals look since 2015, Bendigo opened spherical 14 with an 85-77 win over the UC Capitals.
They are locked in a decent battle for top-four spots with Sydney and the fifth-placed Melbourne Boomers with one spherical left to play.
All three groups have 11-9 data, whereas the Perth Lynx (10-10) are additionally nonetheless within the finals hunt after snapping a five-game dropping streak with their 94-79 win over the Capitals on Sunday.
Anneli Maley put up big numbers with 17 factors, 20 rebounds and eight assists, with Aari McDonald (24 factors) main all scorers.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
