Borlase makes WNBL return as Spirit douse Flames

Reigning league MVP Izzy Borlase has shone in her return to the WNBL, helping Bendigo pull off the biggest boilover of the season with a 97-70 trouncing of ladder leaders Sydney.

The last-placed Spirit won every quarter at Bendigo's Red Energy Arena on Saturday, thanks primarily to the brilliance of star guards Jade Melbourne (25 points, eight rebounds and seven assists) and Borlase (20 points).

It was Borlase's first game of the season, having recently returned to Australia after playing for Atlanta Dream in the WNBA Finals.

Jaz Shelley (18 points) and Isabelle Bourne (15) battled hard for the Flames, who had a staggering 16 more field-goal attempts than the Spirit, but hit just 24-of-74.

"It was starting to feel like King Kong, not so much a monkey," Spirit coach Kennedy Kereama said after his side shook the monkey off their back for their first win of the season.

"I certainly think it was, for a good three-and-a-half quarters, our best defence of the season.

"The great thing is we're going to continue to get better at both ends of the floor."

Borlase registered the game's first score inside the first 30 seconds before Bendigo moved ahead 17-13 at quarter-time.

Sharpshooter Shelley, scoreless in the opening term, caught fire in the second, contributing Sydney's first 13 points.

But the Flames otherwise looked completely out of sync offensively, and incapable of stopping the Spirit's weapons at the other end.

Bendigo scored at will, whether attacking the paint or connecting efficiently from outside, to march ahead 46-32 at halftime.

The carnage continued in the third stanza when the Spirit steamrolled Sydney with a 24-2 surge either side of the long break.

Melbourne was everywhere as Bendigo punished the Flames' unforced errors to lead 70-46 at three-quarter-time.

Borlase's powerful drive sent the margin ballooning to 79-50 in the fourth, before Melbourne continued to pile on the scoreboard pain for Sydney down the stretch.

"I am disappointed with how we played," Flames coach Renae Garlepp said.

"We missed a lot of shots early, but the disappointing part was how we let that influence our defence down the other end.

"A lot didn't go our way, but credit to Bendigo, they played really well.