Isobel Borlase's brilliance in KG, Tolo's 250ths

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What a way to celebrate 250 games for both Kelsey Griffin and Mariana Tolo.

Defending WNBL champions Bendigo Spirit held the Perth Lynx to just 38 points after quarter time, pick and rolled them into submission, held them to just one shot of long stretches on their way to a rock-solid 87-58 at Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium.

Australian Opals guard Isobel Borlase's explosive 26-point performance spearheaded the Spirit's dominant 29-point victory.

"It was it was a very emotional game," Griffin said.

"My wife started off the morning by surprising me with a video of all of my past teammates and family and everyone sending me a message congratulating me on 250.

"(I) got to share the moment with Tolo who — I mean it’s now been very well covered, which I appreciate from the press, that our journeys are very different.

"It took a fateful broken finger to set us on the same same track for game record for her to come back and play another season with Bendigo for me to do the same game was because of this milestone. So it was it was a very special day to play alongside Tolo.

"But I do want to take a moment to talk about my team, because I was just blown away. You know we had — we have so many first year pros on our team, and for them to come out and show out the way they did with the defensive tenacity they played with. I’m so so proud of our group. Like so proud of our group."

Marianna Tolo, next next to Griffin at the post game press conference was equally emotional.

"It was a really good team show-out," she said.

"And you know before the game Abby said some really lovely words about us and it really touched us to our core.

"So everyone was a bit emotional, and I think you could see by the way everyone turned out tonight that they were doing their best.

And that’s what Kelsey said before the game — 'All we gotta do out there is fight our hardest that we ever have' —and that’s exactly what the players did.

"And different people stepped up and had phenomenal games — Georgia (Booth, Megan (McConnell).

"People… that’s what I love about our team. We have so many different talents, so many different threats.

Then Izzy comes out week after week and is just amazing herself.

"So it's such a good group to be a part of because they’re so talented but they're such good people as well.

"And everyone is in it for the right reasons. Everyone wants to get better and wants to put out the best performance out for each other."

Key Details

• Result: Bendigo Spirit 87 def. Perth Lynx 58
• When: Sunday, 23rd November 2025
• Where: Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium, Victoria
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Isobel Borlase (Bendigo Spirit) starred with 26 points, five rebounds, five assists, and four steals in 30 minutes.
• Ally Wilson (Perth Lynx) scored 16 points, seven rebounds, and five assists in 32 minutes.

What Happened

The Spirit established early dominance despite trailing 20-16 after the opening quarter, exploding in the second period to outscore Perth 21-13 and take a 37-33 halftime lead. Bendigo's momentum continued building through the third quarter, where they delivered a crushing 23-10 run to extend their advantage to 60-43 entering the final period.

The fourth quarter saw Bendigo maintain their stranglehold on proceedings, adding 27 points while limiting Perth to just 15 to complete the comprehensive 29-point victory. The Spirit's balanced offensive attack and suffocating defense proved too much for the Lynx throughout the contest.

Isobel Borlase was simply outstanding for the Spirit, shooting efficiently from beyond the arc with six triples on 11 attempts while adding five dimes and four steals. Her 54.5% shooting from downtown was instrumental in stretching Perth's defense and creating opportunities for teammates. Megan McConnell provided excellent support with 12 points, seven boards, and five assists, while Marianna Tolo contributed a solid 10-point, five-rebound effort.

Bendigo's superior shooting proved decisive, converting 45.7% of their three-point attempts compared to Perth's dismal 17.2% from deep. The Spirit's 16 successful triples to Perth's five three-pointers created a significant 33-point differential from beyond the arc alone. Defensively, Bendigo forced 14 turnovers while committing just 10 themselves, showcasing their ability to control possession and limit Perth's scoring opportunities.

For Perth, Ally Wilson battled hard with 16 points and seven boards, shooting an efficient 71.4% from two-point range, but struggled from downtown at just 14.3%. Brianna Turner provided interior presence with nine rebounds and four blocks, while Alex Ciabattoni chipped in nine points. However, the Lynx's poor three-point shooting and inability to match Bendigo's offensive firepower ultimately sealed their fate in this lopsided encounter.