Nicole Munger’s three-pointer sinks Geelong Venom

GEELONG Venom have suffered a heartbreaking loss in front of their home crowd against the UC Capitals to drop to second-last on the WNBL ladder.

A clutch three-pointer by the Capitals’ Nicole Munger with just seconds to go saw the Venom go down by just one point on Sunday afternoon at the Geelong Arena.

There were 19 lead changes in the scrappy affair where neither side could pull away, with both sides desperate for a win to keep their seasons alive.

After a lacklustre first half, the play opened up in the third quarter largely thanks to a late blitz from Geelong captain Jaz Shelley that saw her knock down three three-pointers in a matter of minutes.

Shelley’s heroics paired with crafty plays from fellow guard Shyla Heal saw the Venom go up by as much as seven points in the last quarter, but the Capitals clawed back to steal the victory in enemy territory.

In the loss, Shelley led all scorers with 23 points and added four steals and three blocks, whilst Heal had 17 points and five assists.

Forward Mackenzie Holmes was held to her first game of the season under 20 points, but still added 15 and 13 rebounds and appeared when her side needed a boost.

Capitals skipper Zitina Aokuso had 18 points and 14 rebounds, while gun Jade Melbourne added 18 points after coming off the bench due to illness earlier in the week.

The Venom’s loss on Sunday followed a 35-point defeat at the hands of the in-form Bendigo.

“It’s frustrating. We’re losing games based on the same things,” a dejected Alex Sharp said after her 100th game.

“At some point, we need to actually learn that lesson and make those adjustments.
“Obviously, it [100 games] is an achievement, and I’m happy with that, but I want to get the win for my team, and I feel like I didn’t help the team as much.”

Geelong will have a chance to avenge the loss and get back on the winner’s list when they take on the Spirit at the Geelong Arena this Saturday, December 13. The side will then travel north to play the Southside Melbourne Flyers on Tuesday, December 16.