The Geelong Venom overcame the Southside Melbourne Flyers 66-54 after a fourth-quarter blitz and solid defensive showing at Geelong Arena on Friday night.
The Victorian derby was headlined by the clash between Cayla George and Mackenzie Holmes.
Holmes registered her seventh consecutive double-digit scoring game (20 points) while George (16 rebounds, seven points) fell short of securing her fourth consecutive double-double.
It was George's 376th match, moving her up to fifth on the WNBL's list for most games played.
"She's (George) a very talented player, has a lot of experience in the basketball world, so I knew I was going to have my work cut out for me," Holmes told reporters post-match.
"I knew she was going to hit some tough shots that she did, but I worked on not getting too down on myself and just continued to make everything she did as difficult as possible."
The derby was an opportunity for Southside Melbourne to beat Geelong for the first time since their semi-final victory in March 2024.
But conceding 24 turnovers from the Venom's pressure proved costly, as the Flyers went down for a second straight match, slumping to a 2-3 record.
Haley Peters registered 10 points and nine rebounds, while the in-form Issie Bourne produced a game-high 21 points.
Southside Melbourne coach Kristi Harrower said she had flashbacks to how her team lost their last game against Perth, when they conceded 27 points in the final quarter.
Geelong held them to just seven points in the final term while scoring 17.
"Twenty four turnovers are a killer. It's ridiculous that at this level, you have that many turnovers," Harrower said.
Bourne and Rotunno started hot, scoring a flurry of points as Southside Melbourne created a one-point quarter-time deficit.
After an early second-quarter stalemate, the Flyers went on a 7-0 run before Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard and Alex Sharp helped Geelong lead 34-30 at halftime.
The Venom continued their momentum into the third quarter, producing a seven-point lead before Maddi Rocci and Bourne gained the ascendancy to bring the deficit to two.
Shelley and Holmes imposed themselves in the fourth quarter to create the unassailable lead.
The Southside Melbourne Flyers return home on Saturday 22nd November where they will be looking to bounce back against the Sydney Flames at 3 PM at the State Basketball Centre. The game will mark a milestone for Issie Bourne as she plays her 50th WNBL game at home in front of Flyers Fans.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here through Intix.
