PUOCH SHOT! Nyadiew half-court buzzer beater

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Nyadiew Puoch!!

The 21-year-old Capitals forward has knocked down a game winner from just inside half-way to lift Canberra to a stunning 77-74 win against the surging Perth Lynx in Canberra on Sunday, January 4, 2026.

Puoch stole an entry pass from Ally Wilson to Han Xu with 3.9 seconds left, took three dribbles from the charge circle at Canberra's defensive end and let fly with 0.7 seconds left.

GAME!

"I was glad we didn’t have to go into overtime, honestly," Puoch said.

"So glad it went in. I don’t know, I just threw it up and it went in, and yeah, game’s over.

"I mean, we played really well from the start. I think we threw the first punch and then we were consistent for the whole game, which we’re trying to find.

"We were struggling to find direct gains, but like you guys said, we had hard practices and stuff, and I think that momentum went into the game tonight, which was really good today."

Capitals head coach Paul Goriss said it was a tough and important win for the club.

"I didn’t know it was going in," he said.

"Honestly, I was just worried that she wasn’t going to get it up in time. I was like, she’s going to out-dribble the bloody shot clock. But it looked good coming out of her hand.

"Obviously, I think last time we played them in Perth, we did a great job defensively and just couldn’t score in the second half. I just want to give the girls great credit for holding Perth to 74 points.

"I know everyone’s had to do short turnaround games and travel and stuff like that, so obviously they’re on a short turnaround and probably played a little bit with fatigue, but everyone has to do it.

"Credit to the girls for defensively sticking to the game plan. I’ll be honest, we’ve had some tough practices this week to get us back to this point because we’re on the brink of that playoff run.

"So I give all credit to the players for bouncing back after a couple of tough days at practice, performing the way they did tonight, grinding out that win, and then finishing it in style like that."

It's the first loss since Han Xu's arrival and lifted the Capitals to 7-8 while the Lynx dropped to third at 12-4.

The Capitals were missing Australian Opals Jade Melbourne (hand) and Sara Blicavs (knee) and guard Tahlia Tupaea (concussion).

Key Details

• Result: UC Capitals 77 def. Perth Lynx 74
• When: Saturday, 4th January 2026
• Where: AIS Arena, Canberra
• Attendance: 3,049
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Nyadiew Puoch (UC Capitals) starred with 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists, four steals, and one block in 36 minutes.
• Han Xu (Perth Lynx) dominated with 30 points, 15 rebounds, two steals, and three blocks in 33 minutes.

What Happened

The Capitals established early control, taking a 22-14 first quarter advantage before Perth Lynx responded with a strong second period. The visitors outscored UC Capitals 24-16 in the second quarter to level the contest at 38-38 heading into halftime, setting up an enthralling battle.

UC Capitals regained momentum in the third quarter, edging Perth Lynx 22-18 to take a 60-56 lead into the final period. The home side maintained their composure throughout a tense fourth quarter, holding off a determined Perth Lynx comeback to secure the three-point victory.

Han Xu was outstanding for Perth Lynx, shooting an efficient 10-from-15 from the field and 4-from-5 from the charity stripe. The Chinese centre dominated the paint with 15 boards and provided crucial rim protection with three swats. However, her exceptional individual performance wasn't enough to prevent the defeat.

Nyadiew Puoch proved clutch for the Capitals, connecting on five triples from eight attempts while adding four steals on the defensive end. Zitina Aokuso contributed 16 points on solid 8-from-17 shooting, while Jayda Clark added 12 points with impressive 2-from-3 shooting from downtown.

The contest featured 10 lead changes, highlighting how evenly matched both teams were throughout. UC Capitals' superior three-point shooting proved decisive, connecting on 10-from-20 compared to Perth Lynx's disappointing 8-from-34 from beyond the arc. Despite Perth Lynx's advantage in the paint and second-chance opportunities, their poor perimeter shooting cost them dearly in the narrow defeat.