THE Canberra Capitals were ruthless in beating the West Coast Waves by 31 points, but their generosity reduced one of their opponents to tears at Tuggeranong on Saturday night.
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Just six days after her family home was destroyed by Western Australia's bushfires, Waves guard Shani Amos' emotions spilled over after the Capitals romped to a 96-65 win.
Amos' home of 22 years at Perth Hills was one of 52 burned by the fires, leaving the pint-sized playmaker with little more than her basketball travelling kit.
In an attempt to ease the pain, the crowd at Southern Cross Stadium donated $900, while former Canberra player Tracey Beatty organised a pack with clothes, an iPad mini and shoes for Amos to take back to Perth.
''It's been tough coming over here; I wanted to be there for my mum but this makes it a bit easier,'' Amos said.
''It's surreal, the neighbourhood I grew up in is devastated. I use basketball a lot to keep my mind off things.''
Losing was just a distraction for Amos, but it gave the Capitals a much-needed confidence boost with just five games remaining in the season. And it means the Capitals will avoid slumping to the worst win-loss record in the club's history.
Their total of 96 points was their biggest score of the season and they returned to their home-court fortress at Tuggeranong for the first time since 2009.
The Capitals went on a 26-game winning streak at Tuggeranong between 2005-09 before moving home games to the AIS Arena.
More importantly, they have rediscovered their attacking spark, with five players getting into double figures.
Veteran Jess Bibby was on fire, hitting three long-range three-pointers in a row on her way to a season-high 32 points.
Carley Mijovic used a week with the Australian Opals to spur her to the best performance of her season, finishing with 20 points, 10 rebounds and two rejections.
Abby Bishop had 18 points, 12 rebounds and two rejections in another starring role, while the marquee recruit found her attacking mojo to score 10 points.
The Waves have won just five games in the past two seasons and are anchored to the bottom of the ladder.
The Capitals were always expected to streak away, but with their finals hopes dashed, the seven-time champions needed a confidence boost.
''It's been a tough season for us and I think everyone was excited to come back to Tuggeranong,'' Bibby said.
The Capitals will play the Melbourne Boomers at the AIS Arena on January 25.
AT A GLANCE
CANBERRA CAPITALS 96 (J Bibby 32, C Mijovic 20, A Bishop 18) bt WEST COAST WAVES 65 (A Edmondson 26, D Garbin 12, N Burton 9) at Tuggeranong Southern Cross Stadium.
