Spirit bounce back with home win over Venom

Bendigo Spirit have bounced back from their opening-round defeat in the 2025 WNBL season with a determined 62–55 win over the Geelong Venom in front of an enthusiastic home crowd at Red Energy Arena on Tuesday night.

The reigning champions didn’t have it all their way. Despite leading by as much as 12 in the third term, they endured a frustrating nine-minute scoring drought that stretched across the third and fourth quarters. But when it mattered most, the Spirit showed composure and leadership to close the game out with confidence.

Rising star Isobel Borlase was a standout in her second outing for the club, leading all Bendigo scorers with 20 points and offering key offensive spark when the game was in the balance. Veteran centre Marianna Tolo brought strength in the paint, finishing with 16 points and nine rebounds, while captain Kelsey Griffin made her impact felt with a crucial late putback.

“A bit of relief but happy with the win,” head coach Kennedy Kereama said.

“We kept a team that scored over 100 points last week to just 55. There’s plenty we still want to improve, especially offensively, but I liked the way we kept fighting.”

Geelong were led by an inspired performance from import Mackenzie Holmes, who had 30 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out in the final minutes. Her exit gave the Spirit an opening, which they grabbed with both hands to steady and finish strong.

The win lifts Bendigo to 1–1 for the season and provides a solid platform to build momentum heading into a Saturday lunchtime showdown with the Sydney Flames, also at Red Energy Arena. Tip-off is at 12.30pm AEDT.