The Reading Rockets have moved up to third in the WNBL standings after a 63-58 win over the Bristol Flyers, a game that saw the Flyers cut the Rockets lead from 19 to two in the final six minutes of action.
Candela Hermida Nunez led the Rockets with 16 points on 38% shooting, also picking up six assists and three steals while playing for 39 of the 40 minutes. Lindsey Cleary, who also played 39 of the 40 minutes, put up a double-double statline with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Cleary also had six assists and two steals in the all around performance.
Leila Jepson led the Flyers with 18 points on 38% shooting, with Hannah Wallace scoring 14 points on 42% shooting while picking up three rebounds and four steals.
The Flyers started the strongest out of the two teams. Veronica Iweanya found Alice Matthews on the perimeter, where Matthews launched a three that hit, despite Tejonah McKay closing in on her defensively. After a Wallace layup, the Flyers had started the game up 7-2.
The Rockets would come roaring back immediately as a Parfaite Ando layup would make it 8-7. The teams traded baskets to the end of the quarter, where Kristina Karpova hit a three that was immediately responded to by the Flyers with a three of their own to end the first.
With the Rockets up 15-14 to start the second, Reading locked in defensively throughout the quarter while maintaining a strong pace offensively. Two Jepson free throws with five minutes and 50 seconds remaining brought the Flyers deficit to just two. However, the Rockets launched into life.
In the final five and a half minutes of the second quarter, the Rockets went on a 14-2 run. During the first four minutes of the run, the Rockets held Bristol scoreless. On the offensive side of the ball, Cleary and Hermida Nunez combined for 14 of Reading’s 19 second quarter points.
Up 34-22 to start the second half, the Rockets didn’t let off. A nice drive down the right hand side into a super reverse layup by Hermida Nunez started the third and then a Chloe Lammas three made it a 19-2 run in seven minutes of live basketball overall.
The Flyers played themselves back into the quarter with three back to back three point shots with two minutes left in the third but it wasn’t enough to bring the gap to within 10 as the Rockets started the fourth up 48-37.
Karpova, who had shot poorly through the first three quarters, started the fourth red hot from distance, nailing a triplet of three pointers in the opening three minutes, launching the Rockets lead to 19 with six minutes and 50 seconds left to go.
Reading would then not score for the next five minutes of in game time. Slowly, but steadily, the Flyers whittled down the lead. With three and half minutes to go it was a 13 point lead, with two minutes to go, it was six. With 44 seconds left, it was just three.
The Rockets inbounded the ball, facing a full court press from the Flyers. The Rockets threw it around, trying to evade the pressure but they couldn’t as Emma Bailey intercepted a pass. The Flyers set up a play, but a pass into the post was intercepted by Hermida Nunez and went out of bounds, but it was still Flyers ball.
The Rockets stayed tight to their assignments and forced the ball to be overthrown, which Hermida Nunez chased down and forced the Flyers to foul. The Rockets wrapped up business at the line, winning 63-58.