Thunder storms the Capitals in WNBL finals charge

Updated January 20, 2012 22:40:17

The Logan Thunder eased to a 13-point win over the Canberra Capitals at AIS Arena on Friday night to kick-start their charge into the WNBL finals spots.

The Thunder's 72-59 win moved them into fourth spot and are breathing down the neck of third-placed Townsville which has played four games more.

Cayla Francis turned in a commanding double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds, while Kristen Veal sunk 15 points for the Thunder.

Sarah Graham also chipped in with seven assists and 12 points.

Carly Wilson and Brigette Ardossi top-scored for Canberra with 15 points while Jessica Bibby chipped in with 12.

Canberra's struggles continue with the Capitals stuck in eighth spot.

The Townsville Fire moved up into third place with a 70-57 win over the Sydney University Flames as Shanavia Dowdell dominated affairs with a polished all-round display in Townsville.

Dowdell fired an awesome double-double featuring 18 points and 16 rebounds, and was supported ably by Jessica Foley's 22-point top score.

The Flames' loss means they sit outside the finals spots in sixth.

At the top of the table, the Adelaide Lightning kept setting the pace with a 70-54 blitzing of the Bendigo Spirit at Adelaide Arena.

Suzy Batkovic topped the scoring charts with 24 points and eight rebounds as Adelaide shot 75 per cent from beyond the arc to work its way to a 49-36 half-time lead.

The points dried up in the last two quarters with Bendigo edging the third period 9-6, before the hosts edged the fourth by six points to close out the game.

Deanna Smith (20 points, nine rebounds) and Kristi Harrower (18 points) carried the vast bulk of the scoring responsibilities for Bendigo, but found no other helping hands available to reel the Lightning in.

Tags: wnbl, basketball, sport, canberra-2600, act, logan-city-dc-4114, qld, australia

First posted January 20, 2012 22:02:23

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Ex-NBA player faces murder charge

Updated August 27, 2011 17:50:51

Recent NBA player Javaris Crittenton has been charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of a 22-year-old woman in Atlanta, police said Friday.

Crittenton, 23, who was once suspended by the NBA in connection with guns in a locker room, is wanted in connection with the death of Jullian Jones last Friday in Atlanta, where Crittenton was a collegiate standout at Georgia Tech.

Atlanta Police spokesman Carlos Campos said a murder warrant has been issued for the arrest of Crittenton while the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper reported that Crittenton is believed to be in the Los Angeles area.

Jones was shot by someone in a dark-coloured utility vehicle while walking in a group last week, police said, adding that they do not believe she was the intended target.

Campos said the motive for the shooting was related to an April robbery in which Crittenton was a victim.

Crittenton did not play last season in the NBA because of an ankle injury.

He last played for the Washington Wizards in the 2009-2010 season but was involved in a locker room altercation with then-Wizard Gilbert Arenas involving guns.

The NBA suspended Crittenton for 38 games after he and Arenas admitted to bringing guns into the team's locker room, a violation of law in the US capital.

Crittenton pleaded guilty to a misdemeanour gun charge in January of last year and received probation from a court, but he was not re-signed by the Wizards.

Charlotte had signed Crittenton ahead of last season but he was released before the season began.

Crittenton has averaged 5.3 points and 1.8 assists in 113 NBA games in a career that began in 2007 when he was selected 19th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Draft.

He went to Memphis in a trade deal that brought Pau Gasol to the Lakers and was later sent from the Grizzlies to Washington.

AFP

Tags: basketball, sport, united-states

First posted August 27, 2011 17:40:01

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Dorsey delays Breakers' title charge

Updated April 24, 2011 19:09:00

Ron Dorsey hit two clutch three-pointers to keep Cairns' hopes of a maiden NBL championship alive with an 85-81 win in double-overtime in game two against New Zealand at the Snakepit on Sunday.

The series now returns to Auckland on Friday night for the decider with the Breakers looking to become the first ever Kiwi team to win a title in a major Australian competition.

New Zealand guard Kirk Penney sunk what were to be the go-ahead free throws that gave the visitors a two-point buffer with seven seconds to go in overtime.

But Dorsey, who finished with a game-high 22 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks, sent the game to a second extra period for the first time in the league's grand final history with an on-the-move shot from well beyond the arc.

He knocked Breakers veteran and three-time title winner CJ Bruton to the floor in the process, levelling things at 73-73.

Bruton himself had forced the first extra period with a three-pointer that tied the game at 61-61.

It became a three-point shoot-out as both sides searched for an unreachable lead despite neither team having much success from downtown in regulation time.

Kevin Braswell had the hot hand for the visitors, hitting two of his four buckets from long range in the first overtime period on his way to 18 points.

He hit back-to-back field goals - a lay-up and a long two from the wing - to pull the Breakers back to parity at 81-81, but Ian Crosswhite's bucket and two free throws to Ayinde Ubaka iced it for Cairns with 10 seconds in double-OT.

Crosswhite finished with 15 points and six boards, Ubaka had 15 and seven while Daniel Dillon (10 and eight) and Alex Loughton (10 and five) displayed the Taipans' depth on the bench.

New Zealand dominated game one, an 85-67 result in Auckland that saw Penney finish with a game-high 25 points and eight rebounds, but he was restricted to 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting (0-of-5 from three-point range) on Sunday.

Thomas Abercrombie (17) and Mika Vukona (10 points, 21 rebounds) were again solid contributors for the minor premier Breakers.

First posted April 24, 2011 18:50:00

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