'Captain Fantastic': Kelsey Griffin sparks Spirit at home

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Captain Kelsey Griffin's offensive rebound and put-back down the stretch sparked Bendigo Spirit's 13-5 run in the last three minutes, withstanding Geelong Venom's fourth quarter come back, to win 62-55 in the final game of WNBL26 Round 2 on Tuesday, October 28, 2025 at Red Energy Arena in Bendigo.

"That’s why she’s had the career she has," Bendigo Spirit veteran Marianna Tolo said.

"She’s phenomenal — locked in every minute she’s on the floor. That offensive put-back was huge. It shows her experience and her will to win."

Defending champion head coach Kennedy Kereama said: "She (Griffin) dived on loose balls five or six times tonight, went after every rebound, and did all the blue-collar stuff. That’s just who she is — it’s why she wins.

"Two main takeaways from that one: first, we’ll get a lot out of it because Geelong tried to speed the game up with their zone and extended pressure.

"That really sped us up. We were probably expecting a slower fourth quarter — like most games usually slow down — so that was an anomaly we’ll learn from.

"The second thing is we kept a team that’s been scoring over 100 points to just 55. That’s a great defensive effort. We can still improve a lot defensively, but I’ll take that. It’s the second straight week where our defence has really put us in a strong position. Holding teams to 74 and now 55 is excellent, given the average WNBL score last season was over 81 per game.

Geelong is still without Australian Opals guard Shyla Heal, who is recovering from a knee injury, and import Alissa Pili. But they do have 24-year-old 2024 WNBA Draft pick Mackenzie Holmes.

Holmes finished with 30 points, 12 boards, three blocks and an assist in 38 minutes before fouling out with just under two minutes to play. Bendigo led 55-52,

Venom head coach Chris Lucas said Holmes was already proving she's one of the elite forwards in the league.

"Someone doesn’t come through a college system and finish above 60% shooting across five years by accident," Lucas said.

"She’s consistent, professional, and reliable — we know exactly what we’re going to get every game. I’m really happy to have her with us.

"[But] I’m disappointed for the girls because we really fought. Our defensive effort in the second half was terrific — to hold an experienced team like that to 22 points after they had 40 at the half was a great effort. We just didn’t reward ourselves at the other end.

"10 from eighteen at the foul line isn’t acceptable at this level, and it cost us the game — along with some missed layups in the last 90 seconds. But I’m proud of the girls; we competed for 40 minutes, and we were down another player.

"Mackenzie Holmes’ effort tonight was terrific — she was a steadying influence for us. I couldn’t have asked for much more. They gave it their best shot; we just came up short.

Despite the 30-point double-double and scoring more than half the Venom's points, Holmes said there was room for improvement.

"There are things I could’ve done better," she said.

"I missed a few shots I should’ve made, and I had a mental lapse late — I shouldn’t have gone for that block that led to my fifth foul. Those are growing pains.

"I’m technically still a rookie, and I’m learning.

"I really appreciate the trust my teammates and coaches have in me — it’s helped me regain confidence. But there’s still plenty to tidy up on both ends of the floor."

Key Details

• Result: Bendigo Spirit 62 def. Geelong Venom 55
• When: 28th October 2025
• Where: Red Energy Arena
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Isobel Borlase (Bendigo Spirit) starred with 20 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block in 33 minutes.
• Mackenzie Holmes (Geelong Venom) scored 30 points, had 12 rebounds, one assist, and three blocks in 38 minutes.

What Happened

The Spirit and Venom battled to an 18-all tie after the first quarter before Bendigo seized control with a dominant 22-12 second period. Geelong fought back in the third, outscoring Bendigo 12-9, but both teams scored 13 points in the final quarter. Geelong led by a point — 50-49 — with but Kelsey Griffin's offensive rebound and put back put the Spirit in front 51-50 and the Spirit then closed it out 13-5 run, including Griffin's bucket.

Despite the close final margin, Bendigo controlled most of the contest, leading for over 37 minutes compared to just one minute for Geelong. The Spirit built their largest lead of 12 points during a nine-point scoring run, while the Venom's biggest advantage was just three points despite an 11-point run of their own.

Isobel Borlase was outstanding for Bendigo, shooting efficiently with 5-from-10 from two-point range and 2-from-6 from beyond the arc. Marianna Tolo added 16 points and nine rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field, providing a strong interior presence for the Spirit.

Mackenzie Holmes dominated for Geelong with a stellar 30-point, 12-rebound double-double while shooting an impressive 11-from-18 from the field. However, the rest of the Venom roster struggled offensively, with captain Jazmin Shelley limited to 10 points on 4-from-12 shooting despite contributing five assists, four steals and three blocks.

The Spirit's superior shooting proved decisive, hitting 44.4 percent from the field compared to Geelong's 41.2 percent. More significantly, Bendigo connected on five three-pointers while Geelong managed just one triple on 17 attempts, shooting a dismal 5.9 percent from long range. The Spirit also controlled the glass with 45 rebounds to Geelong's 37, helping overcome their 22 turnovers.