Liz Cambage’s big game sends Southside Flyers to top of ladder but Melbourne Boomers don’t fear a rematch

“We are really starting to click now, we didn’t have it together last time we played them,” Cambage told broadcasters.

“It felt good to come out and play together.

“I love our team so much. I’m the key focus so when teams try to lock me down, the girls light it up from the three-point line.”

The Boomers paid dearly for a poor first half but were much better in the second, losing the final term by just a point.

Boomers guard Tess Madgen said her side had no fear about who they played in the finals or whether they might fall below the Flyers and Canberra Capitals into third place and an elimination semi-final against whoever finishes fourth.

“We are not scared of anyone we have to meet in the finals,” Madgen said.

“We beat Canberra and Southside and our last game of the season is against Townsville and we are a lot better now than the last time we played them.

“There is still a lot of room for improvement. I really hope we get to meet Southside again before the season is finished.”

If the Flyers beat Sydney Flames on Thursday and fellow title-contender Canberra Capitals this coming Sunday they will claim top-spot and a double-chance in the one-game semi-finals on December 16.

But Southside’s winning margin over the Boomers was below the 17 points the Boomers won their first meeting by, so in the event the two sides finish on the same record then the Boomers would move ahead.

This would require the Boomers to win their remaining three games with the Flyers losing one of their two games.

The Boomers have also battled through a torrid end to the season with Tuesday night’s clash with Adelaide their fifth game in eight days.

“We really got the rough end of the stick having to play five games in eight days at the tail end of the season,” Madgen said.

“But hopefully we get the win against Adelaide and that will mean we have hopefully only dropped one of those five games.”