Bendigo veteran Kelly Wilson broke the WNBL’s all-time assists record and captain Kelsey Griffin excelled as the Spirit tightened their hold on top spot with two more wins.
The Spirit (15-2) followed up a 95-86 home victory over second-placed Perth (13-4) on Wednesday with a 95-73 triumph over Geelong on Sunday to make it six straight wins.
Wilson took just over one and a half minutes at Geelong Arena to get the one assist she needed to draw clear of the retired Kristen Veal's 1617 career total.
In her 22nd season, the 41-year-old Spirit playmaker promptly dished off dimes for Geelong’s next two scores and had a game-high 10 assists at the end.
Geelong led briefly in the first and third quarters, but a 20-3 run in Bendigo’s favour in the latter gave them a 16-point buffer at the final break.
Griffin dominated with 29 points at a very impressive 76 per cent from the field and Sami Whitcomb added 21.
Jaz Shelley (19 points) and Hannah Henk (18 points) were both strong for Geelong, who proved very competitive in an intensely physical contest until Bendigo made their decisive surge.
Whitcomb starred with 29 points and 10 rebounds against her former club Perth, hitting a trio of three-pointers at the start of the final quarter, with the Spirit fighting back from double-digit deficits In the first half.
Ally Wilson fought hard for Perth, also scoring 29, and Anneli Maley pulled down 14 boards, but shot just one from 11 from the field as the Lynx’s run of wins stopped at six.
Wilson and Maley were both hugely influential in Saturday’s 86-78 home win over the last-placed Southside (4-12), who held a 16-point lead late in the second quarter.
Wilson scored 27 points and Maley was again colossal on the boards with 22 rebounds.
Perth went on a decisive 14-0 run in the fourth, with guard Amy Atwell outscoring the Flyers 14-12 in the last.
Townsville (10-5) consolidated third spot with a 105-71 home thrashing of Canberra (5-11).
The Fire won every quarter, with captain and guard Courtney Woods supplying 24 points and 11 assists and forward Lauren Cox bagging 19 points and 11 boards.
Sydney (6-9) and Geelong (6-10) emerged as the two teams most likely to fight it out for fourth spot after each went 1-1 for the round and Adelaide (5-11) and Canberra (5-11) both lost.
Geelong scored a thumping 90-70 home win over the Flames on Friday, with Shelley scoring 24, while forward and captain Cayla George was the standout for Sydney, tallying 27 points, 17 rebounds and four blocks.
Sydney broke a three-match losing skid with an emphatic 84-60 home win over Adelaide Lightning on Sunday.
The Flames scored the first 18 points of the game and guard Shaneice Swain finished with 23 as Adelaide slipped to a fifth straight defeat.
