Basketball On The Internet.

A LITERAL last-gasp basket by Southside import Mercedes Russell last night forced the WNBL Grand Final Series to a deciding third game on Sunday in Melbourne as the Flyers flew the Perth coup 97-95 winners, barely escaping the desperate final minutes after leading all night.

The Lynx were storming to the finish line, Aari McDonald playing her best ball of the night, utilising pivot Emily Potter, while Alex Ciabattoni threatened to be Perth's match-winner with sparkling minutes off the bench.

In fact coach Ryan Petrik leaving her anchored to the bench to start the last quarter, retaining his regular rotations instead of reading the game, proved costly, Southside managing to keep its nose in front longer than it otherwise may have.

Bec Cole, Jasmine Dickey and Carley Ernst were huge for the Flyers in stamping their authority on this game but after the home humiliation of Game 1, Southside seized the initiative from the get-go.  

Baskets by Russell and Maddi Rocci set Southside flying from the opening tip, Perth only managing to tie the game up before Lauren Jackson stuck her only three of the game for an 11-8 lead.

Rocci's 3-pointer for 14-8 contrasted with easy misses by Miela Goodchild, Emily Potter, Anneli Maley and McDonald, the latter seeming more interested in flinging herself to the floor than scoring.

Further buckets by Jackson and Rocci bumped the lead to 18-8 before Ciabattoni and Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard were inserted.

Game 1 hero Amy Atwell hit her only triple of the match and when Ciabattoni scored her second basket, Perth was within touch at 18-21.

Consecutive Potter baskets sandwiched around an Ernst score meant the Lynx were all the way back at 23-24 and within three at the first break.

As much good as Atwell did in Game 1 toward Opals consideration was how much damage she did it in Game 2 and NOT because she went 1-of-7 from long range.

Whether it was planned or happened organically, Cole and Dickey attacked her consistently, exposing defensive flaws at key moments. Never even a remote factor in Game 1, Dickey (19 points) and Cole (18 at 58 percent, 3-of-4 threes, three assists, a steal and a block) set a tone for the Flyers.

Tied at 33, Ernst, Cole with a triple, then Ernst again, this time with a three, produced an 8-0 run, McDonald interrupting before another Cole three made the margin nine at 44-35.

Cole was killing the Lynx, pushing the lead to 12 at 49-37, Ernst and Dickey also prominent, and when Leilani Mitchell's jumper closed the half, Southside was cruising, ahead 55-43.

While Jackson was looking spent, the crew of Cole, Ernst and Dickey kept the scoreboard ticking, the lead inflated to 15 at 70-55 halfway through the third.

Goodchild and Ciabattoni ensured Perth had life and when McDonald struck a 3-pointer, the margin was quickly back at a manageable 65-72.

Down seven going into the last, McDonald and Potter working the pick-and-roll had Perth back to 75-78 before Rocci, Russell and Mitchell again dragged Southside clear.

It was back to a workable six-point deficit when Ciabattoni - arguably playing the best all-around game of her WNBL career - again checked in. Clinch Hoycard also stepped up and the margin was back to one at 89-90.

Close to running on empty, the Flyers found Russell for a three-point play, Potter and Rocci trading pressure free throw makes before Ciabattoni (16 points on 7-of-9 shooting, 1-of-1 threes, two assists, three steals, two blocks) brought Perth to 93-95.

With just over a minute left, McDonald tied it from the stripe and Bendat Basketball Centre was in uproar.

Mitchell for three was blocked by Ciabattoni, Maley fouled on the rebound. She had 17 for the game and was at the stripe with 40 seconds left. Shooting for the lead, the circumstances definitely played a part, her first free throw barely reaching the ring.

When Maley aborted her second freebie, Russell (18 points, 17 rebounds, three assists, a steal, two blocks) snared the board. But as Southside was winding into its offence, Ciabattoni came up with a stunning steal, driving forward.

Drawing the defensive heat, she dished a perfect pass for Maley to lay up, but she missed the shot. Competing desperately and successfully for the offensive board, Maley then turned to shoot, Russell blocking her shot.

Racing the ball back into offence, somehow the Flyers fumbled it to Russell on the baseline, the Seattle Storm WNBA centre shooting Jackson's trademark turnaround J and watching it fall through as the siren sounded.

And just like that, this enthralling series had a Game 3 decider on Sunday in Melbourne.

WNBL Grand Final Series (Best-of-3)

Game 2: SOUTHSIDE FLYERS 97 (Dickey 19, Cole, Russell 18, Ernst, Rocci 14; Russell 17 rebs; Rocci 6 assts) d PERTH LYNX 95 (McDonald 26, Ciabattoni, Potter 16, Goodchild 14; Maley 17 rebs; McDonald 8 assts) at Bendat Basketball Centre. Crowd: 1,753

Game 1: PERTH LYNX 101 (Atwell 30, Maley, McDonald 15, Ciabattoni 12; Potter 10 rebs; McDonald 10 assts) d SOUTHSIDE FLYERS 79 (Jackson 21, Ernst 13, Russell 12; Rocci 9 rebs; Mitchell 6 assts) at Melbourne Sports Centres. Crowd: 2,356

Series tied 1-1