Round 14 disappointment for Geelong United

GEELONG United suffered another upsetting week in the WNBL, ending Round 14 with two losses.

United hit the court on Wednesday last week to take on top team Bendigo Spirit in the Pride Round.

Geelong started the game strong, ending the first quarter one point in front of the visiting team.

Bendigo took control of the court throughout the second term with a 32.3 per cent three-point shot percentage, while United dominated the defensive rebounds.

Spirit’s strong competition continued for the remainder of the game, causing United to fall in a final score of 81-60.

United returned to the Geelong Arena on Saturday, February 1, for their final home game of the season, facing the UC Capitals.

The teams started the first quarter with a back-and-forth game, which led to the Capitals getting in front and coming out of the quarter up by three points.

Geelong remained close to the Capitals on the scoreboard until the end of the third quarter, where they were down by 16.

United pushed to the final buzzer, going on a 10-point run with just over a minute to go, but ended the game with a final score of 91-77.

Geelong United player Alex Sharp scored 23 points during the game against the Capitals.

“We fought to the end, we’ve had a lot of growth and we’ve got a lot of growth to go which is the most exciting thing,” she said.

“I think we’re building something really exciting here and I’m looking forward to working with these girls who are every day, on the court wanting to get better.

Geelong United coach Chris Lucas said the support from the Geelong crowd has been “imperative” throughout the season.

“We wanted this to be a community-based club and I think we’re heading in the right direction,” Lucas said.

“The kids are following the girls and the crowds have been reasonable, but we want to see three to four thousand [people] watching these girls play, that’s where we want to head to.”

Geelong will play again on February 14 when they take on Perth Lynx before the final game of the season on February 16 against Adelaide Lightning.