The UC Capitals are back at the AIS to face the Southside Melbourne Flyers and the stakes are simple: win and the team will keep its Finals hopes alive, lose and the Flyers clinch the last ticket.
The Caps have beaten the Flyers twice this season, but in a do-or-die/win-and-in matchup, those results will probably not matter much. Both teams have had up-and-down seasons and it’s fitting that it will come down to these last couple of games.
The Caps have lost 3 straight games, and will be coming into this game under yet another injury cloud – forward Kadi Sissoko will miss the contest due to Achilles soreness which has limited her minutes in previous games. It’s another tough blow for the Caps although the team gets some reprieve with backup centre Teige Morrell being cleared to suit up.
The Caps will have to rely heavily on the trio of Zitina Aokuso, Jade Melbourne and Nyadiew Puoch to carry much of the load. In their December 9th matchup against the Flyers, Z was dominant with 22 points, while Jade had a 10 point-11 assist double-double and Nards was solid off the bench with 9 points.
For the Flyers, Cayla George and Maddy Rocci are expected to carry the load once again. Rocci had a near triple double back in December against the Caps (24-8-8), while Cayla George is coming off a monster 21-14-4 line against the Lightning over the weekend.
With everything on the line for both squads, expect a tough, physical and intense encounter.
Keys to the game
- Stay aggressive offensively: The Caps offense has gone through a rough patch over the past two months – the last time the team scored over 77 points was way back in that December 9 game against the Flyers. With the season on the line, another low scoring output probably won’t be enough. There are plenty capable scorers on the team – they just need to back themselves and let it fly.
- Finish defensive possessions: Despite the Caps playing good defense for most of the match against Townsville over the weekend, the team didn’t do a good job of securing the defensive rebounds. With the firepower the Flyers have, the Caps can’t afford to give them multiple second chances.
- Force Rocci into tough spots: Maddy Rocci has had a phenomenal season for the Flyers and she has killed the Caps in the two games this season so far. The Caps have to find a way to make thing difficult for her and force her into contested shots and passes. Disrupting Rocci’s rhythm will be key to slowing the Flyers attack.
Key matchup
Jade Melbourne v Maddy Rocci: These two always puts on a show against each other and with everything on the line, expect both players to leave it all on the court in the hopes of leading their squad to the win.
