Wagga Blaze have climbed to equal second on the Waratah League Division One ladder after outgunning Tamworth Thunderbolts 60-48 at Bolton Park Sports Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
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The Blaze trailed by three points at halftime before Shakera Barnes produced a third-quarter onslaught, sinking 14 points in six minutes to lift the home side to a 11-point lead at the final change.
Abbey Morton led the charge in the final quarter, taking Wagga out to a 17-point lead before two late three-pointers from the Thunderbolts added respectability to the scoreline.
Barnes finished atop the shooters list with 20 points while Morton, Maddison Clyne and Khiani Clark all reached double figures for Wagga.
Blaze leader Steph Male said the performance was arguably their best yet in 2018.
“It was a really good game from everyone out there … we definitely picked it up from our last game,” Male said.
Male overcame sickness last week to feature in Saturday’s win and scored six points in a solid return to form against a “tough” Tamworth outfit.
Wagga defeated the Thunderbolts by seven points in their earlier encounter but Male said the visitors pushed her side at home.
“They were definitely a tough team, especially given the distance they had to travel,” Male said.
“It wasn’t until the second quarter that we started getting into the game.”
The 12-point win puts Wagga Blaze in good stead for a finals berth.
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