Bacon sizzles refs fizzle in Spider loss
February 20, 2005 - National Women's Basketball League (NWBL)
San Jose Spiders News Release
SAN JOSE CA - The SAN JOSE SPIDERS have certainly got their opponents respect. The SPIDERS pushed league leading Colorado to the limit in a game that came down to two bad calls and one amazing performance.
Once again, the SPIDERS were looking to overcome another injury to a key player as shooting guard Erica Glover suffered a slightly twisted ankle in the first half and did not return to action for the remainder of the period.
Up to that point the SPIDERS were controlling the backcourt match up as Colorado was clearly thin at the point position without the services of Olympian Becky Hammon. The pressure extended by both Glover and Natalie Nakase completely disrupted the CHILL offensive sets and forced Colorado into 12 first half turnovers.
Tera Bjoklund and Amisha Carter found success in the first half underneath the basket. At one point Carter made a strong base-line move from the right side and spun into the lane drawing contact as she finished for the three point play. San Jose took the edge in points in the paint by a margin of 14 to 10 during the period.
Only a series of SPIDER errors kept the visiting CHILL in the lead. San Jose committed 13 turnovers and the CHILL capitalized with 11 easy points.
The second half belonged to CHILL player Carrie Bacon. Bacon averages a respectable 14 points per game. But, given free reign to display her offense without the presence of All Stars Ruth Riley and Becky Hammon, Bacon took off scoring a game high 27 points on 9 of 14 shooting.
Carter and Glover both showed a lot of poise in the second half. After suffering a mild sprain, Glover returned to score some big buckets down the stretch while Carter maintained her steady pace and led her team with 17 points. Four SPIDER players finished in double figures.
The game came down to the wire with the SPIDERS continually countering the hot shooting of Bacon. A big 7-0 run starting at the 5:00 minute mark got the home team within one, that's when the officials struck first.
At the 2:20 mark Carter took a mid-court steal and went in for the easy lay in. Bacon went in for the strip and there appeared to be a foul on the play. Bacon was livid at the call and must have convinced the officials because the switched possession in favor of the CHILL. The fact that Bacon was standing out of bounds when she gained possession was lost in the mix.
While the SPIDERS were able to overcome the oversight with another defensive stop, it cost the team a chance to take the lead and made the second oversight a dagger to the hearts of the SPIDER players.
With under a minute to go the SPIDERS were down by one and needed a bucket to take the lead. After an errant shot by Glover, three SPIDER players were fighting for a rebound when the baseline official called an offensive foul on Tera Bjorklund for a push. Bjorklund was furious as she was neither facing the player nor in any contact with her at the time of the foul. After the call Bacon was fouled on a drive and Colorado closed out the game on free throws.
The SPIDERS will have a quick chance to get even on this home stand as they take on the LUBBOCK HAWKS Sunday, February 20th at DeAnza College, game time 4:00 pm.
For more information on the Spiders or to purchase season tickets please visit our website at www.nwbl.com.
The SAN JOSE SPIDERS is an expansion team of the WNBL, a professional women's basketball league that plays its season in the spring from January to April each year and features some of America's best professional women athletes.
National Women's Basketball League Stories from February 20, 2005
- Hawks fly past Spiders - San Jose Spiders
- Bacon sizzles refs fizzle in Spider loss - San Jose Spiders
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