By Marcus Uhe
A contested layup from Kayla Thornton has extended the Southside Flyers’ winning streak to three games, prevailing in a thriller against the Adelaide Lightning in South Australia on Saturday night.
Thornton’s return to the starting line-up was crucial in the tense victory, registering another double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds to lead all players in scoring, as the Flyers claimed the 73-72 win.
After forcing her and Lauren Jackson’s defender’s to make a choice, between leaving the all-time great open on the three-point line and staying with Thornton for a potential drive to the basket, Thornton used that crucial slip-up from the Lightning defender to gain a half-step on her opponent.
With Jackson having dragged her opponent away from the hoop, it left plenty of space for a potential cutter to get to the rim without going past one of Adelaide’s taller defenders, which is precisely what the American did.
She faked setting a screen for Maddison Rocci, cut to the basket and flipped the running-shot one-handed off the glass, giving the Flyers a one-point lead with 15.8 seconds remaining.
Steely defence from Sara Blicavs on Lightning captain Stephanie Talbot resulted in a missed three-point shot to win the home side the game, clinching the victory for the Flyers.
Southside had been shaken by the Lightning early in the contest, as Adelaide started the game on a 15-4 run halfway through the opening quarter, but Thornton’s presence on the inside kept them in the hunt and closed the gap to five by the end of the first.
Her three-point shot tied the game at 35 late in the second term, off an assist from Rocci, but Adelaide pulled-away late in the quarter to restore that five-point buffer at the half.
Two quick buckets in the first 30 seconds of the second half showed that the Flyers wouldn’t be going anywhere, and it was here where Jackson began to take over.
She had nine points in the quarter and stayed on the court after appearing to hurt her ankle, having had her legs tangled under some Adelaide defenders down low.
A pair of free-throws to Monique Conti gave the Flyers an eight-point margin with 3.30 left in the quarter, but Southside’s inability to close-out a term hurt them yet again as they only took a one-point lead into the last change.
The two-sides exchanged buckets throughout the quarter, as the lead never grew beyond three points for either team.
Trailing by one with 42 seconds remaining, a turnover from Jackson shaped as costly, giving the Lightning an opportunity to make the game a two-possession contest as time ticked-away.
But the Flyers regrouped, and forced a shot clock violation, granting them the ball back with 24 seconds left, leading to the Thornton game-winner.
Veterans Blicavs and Jackson both added 15 points, while it was winning the battle on the glass that proved critical for the Flyers, out-rebounding the South Australians by 10.
Saturday’s contest puts the brakes on a marathon road-trip for Southside, who return to Melbourne for their game at John Cain Arena on Saturday 4 February against the Sydney Flames.
