Having led by as much as seven points in the second quarter, the Capitals could not keep out the fast-finishing Boomers at the State Basketball Centre in Melbourne.

The loss drops the Capitals to a 3-6 record for the season and leaves them three games behind the fourth-placed Adelaide Lightning (4-4). Compounding matters is the fact the Capitals are in the midst of a horror schedule and do not return to the AIS Arena until December 20.

Their next challenge is the always tricky sunshine swing involving back-to-back games on the road in Queensland against the Townsville Fire and Logan Thunder on Friday and Saturday night.

Veteran guard Jess Bibby led the Capitals with a game-high 22 points, 19 of those coming in an electric first half.

Opals forward Abby Bishop had 11 points and nine rebounds, but fouled out of the game when the scores were tied at 59-59 with 41 seconds on the clock.

Centre Alex Bunton had a double/double with 11 points and 11 rebounds as the Capitals took advantage of the Boomers having three of their starters - Rebecca Allen and imports Amber Hegge and Chelsea Poppens - exit the game with foul trouble.

But despite being short-handed, it was the Boomers who held their nerve better down the stretch, Rebecca Cole sinking a clutch three-pointer with 16 seconds remaining to improve her team's record to 7-1 for the season.

Capitals co-captain Natalie Hurst was unusually quiet, finishing with just two points on only two shot attempts from the field, along with seven assists and four rebounds in 32 minutes of court time.

It came less than seven days after the Opals point guard returned a 50-point haul, including 31 in the 93-85 win against Dandenong, in last weekend's double-header to claim the WNBL player of the week honours.

The Capitals struggled to find their range offensively early and scored just 13 points in the opening quarter. The five-point deficit was quickly erased, Bibby heating up as the Capitals dominated the Boomers 22-12 in the second stanza.

MELBOURNE BOOMERS 66 (C Poppens 13 T Madgen 12 R Allen 10) bt CANBERRA CAPITALS 62 (J Bibby 22 A Bishop 11 A Bunton 11) at the State Basketball Centre.