The Canberra Capitals are back after claiming their biggest scalp in three years to continue their WNBL resurrection.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Capitals beat the back-to-back defending champion Townsville Fire 81-77 at the Tuggeranong Basketball Stadium on Saturday night in a perfectly timed boost as the club launched a live stream of home games on YouTube.
The Capitals have struggled to win games in recent years and slumped to one of their worst seasons in history last year.
But coach Paul Goriss has injected new blood and fresh enthusiasm to build a new belief and confidence at the most successful club in WNBL history.
The four-point thriller against the Fire was the next step in their revival and they can now be considered genuine finals contenders.
Skipper Carly Wilson admitted to tears welling in her eyes just before full-time after seeing the team fall to its lowest ebb last year and then rebuild in stunning fashion.
"My eyes actually started tearing up, it's a big win for the club. We've got the talent and we can beat teams like Townsville, now we just need the consistency," Wilson said.
"It's such an amazing feeling because this is a proud club with a rich history. I've been here for the success and I've been here for the not so good years as well."
The Capitals were forced to play from behind for most of the first half, falling on the wrong side of a 15-2 run by the Fire before clawing their way back to trail by just two points at half-time.
They eventually hit the lead at the start of the third quarter and had the star-studded Fire on the ropes when Abbey Wehrung nailed back-to-back three-pointers to open up a nine-point gap.
The Fire turned to Suzy Batkovic when they were feeling the heat and the veteran star stepped up to close the margin to three points and put her team back in the contest.
A huge defensive effort from Marianna Tolo (five blocks) and Mikaela Reuf (17 rebounds) gave the Capitals a fighting chance while Kate Gaze top-scored for Canberra with 18 points off the bench.
Fans turned in online to watch the Capitals for the first time as the club searches for ways to attract a bigger audience after the WNBL failed to secure a broadcast deal for the season.
The Capitals attempted to launch a live stream four years ago, but they were blocked by the WNBL because of the quality of their video.
The club plans to broadcast the rest of their home games online as Goriss and the players attempt to capitalise on their solid start to the season.
AT A GLANCE
CANBERRA CAPITALS 81 (Kate Gaze 18, Marianna Tolo 17, Stephanie Bairstow 15) bt TOWNSVILLE FIRE 77 (Suzy Batkovic 27, Mia Murray 13, Kayla Standish 13) at Tuggeranong Basketball Stadium. Crowd: 765.
