The Caps home opener features a mouthwatering clash against title favorites Townsville Fire. Both teams are back in action after delivering strong opening round performances on the road. The Caps used a strong third quarter to hold off the Southside Melbourne Flyers, 80-71, at John Cain Arena while the Fire rode the hot hand of Abbey Ellis to exact some revenge over the Bendigo Spirit in a finals rematch.
When Paul Goriss built the squad in the offseason, one of the primary goals was to get more balanced offensively so the team would be less reliant on star Jade Melbourne carrying a big load every game. Against the Flyers, that’s exactly what the Caps did with four players scoring in double figures (Blicavs 19, Puoch 16, Melbourne 15, Sissoko 15), supplemented by a solid effort defensively in holding the Southside to 40% shooting from the field while forcing 17 turnovers.
The Caps jumped on the Flyers early in the game and did a good job in controlling the tempo. They broke the game open early in the third quarter with a 14-2 run and staved off every Flyer rally with key baskets or defensive stops down the stretch.
Replicating this formula would be key against the Fire, who boasts arguably the deepest roster in the league this season. Townsville won despite the import duo of Lucy Olsen and Lauren Cox having subpar games. Against Bendigo, it was Abbey Ellis who shouldered the load, dropping a career-high 31 points (10/16fgs, 6/9 from 3) and showing her full two-way potential by making life hell for the Spirit guards defensively.
Aside from Cox, Olsen, and Ellis, the Fire’s star-studded roster also features Opals Miela Sowah, Courtney Woods and Alex Fowler, and veteran centre Alicia Froling. They also have Chantel Horvat off the bench, who was a starter with the Caps last season.
Last season, these two teams faced each other three times – once in Canberra and twice in Townsville – with the home team winning every matchup. Not surprising given that both squads feature the two best fanbases in the league.
Keys to the game
- Limiting the Fire’s 3pt shooting: Townsville shot 10/20 against Bendigo, with Ellis and Sowah combining to go 9/16.
- Pick and roll coverage: Townsville operates out of the pick and roll a lot, which will be a good challenge for the Caps lengthy and athletic defense.
- Attacking the Fire defense: the Caps have a lot of size and versatility across the lineup. How they attack Townsville’s drop coverage on the pick and roll and punish mismatches will be crucial to their success.
Key matchups
- Kadi Sissoko v Alex Fowler: Two versatile forwards who affect the game in multiple ways. Kadi might have more one-on-one juice, but Fowler is one of the game’s best cutters and creating scoring opportunities without needing too much of the ball.
- Isa Brancatisano vs Abbey Ellis/Miela Sowah: while she saw limited minutes vs Southside, Isa was recruited in large part for matchups like this. The Caps will need her defensive pressure to limit the explosive scoring of Townsville’s backcourt.
Around the grounds at the AIS
- It’s Indigenous round so we’ll be wearing our Indigenous jersey designed by local man Richard Allan. Some players will also wear custom artworks on their sneakers, also designed by Richard. We will auction off the shoes with all proceeds, along with profits made from Indigenous jersey sales going towards TOAC.
- This season we will be giving away collectible trading cards to the first 1000 fans in the stadium. This game’s featured player will be Mon Bobongie.
- Want a LeCappie? Our favourite plush doll will be exclusively available at home games in limited quantities.
- Grab a bite at one of the food trucks available on site, get some facepainting done or shoot around with our friends from Basketball ACT pre-game.
- TOAC will be hosting a Cultural Stand on the grounds – make sure you pop around and learn about Indigenous culture and history.
UC Caps v Townsville Fire
7pm Saturday 25 October at AIS Arena
Tickets
Live on 9Go and ESPN
