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AN outrageous game-changing call and an errant pass overshadowed huge late baskets by Cayla and Kayla as Southside secured its place in the WNBL Grand Final Series against Townsville with a last-gasp 73-72 escape from defending champion Melbourne in an otherwise super quality semi final.

That a referee could call a phantom offensive foul on Leilani Mitchell in the backcourt as she brought the ball up with her Boomers ahead by one and 1:03 on the game clock, was a completely indefensible call. 

To believe Mitchell, an Olympian, multiple championship-winner and a high-IQ veteran who also knows Maddi Rocci's game having been a teammate, would give up an offensive foul before even reaching the centreline is beyond ridiculous.

Footage only confirmed that.

Rocci had just made two free throws at 1:05 to bring the score back from 66-69 to 68-69 before the referee decided to intervene, and on Southside's next play, a clearly buoyant Rocci stuck a 3-point dagger for a 71-69 Southside lead.

Guarding Boomers captain Cayla George at the top of the key, Flyers import Kayla Thornton chose to flop, then help out low as the ball returned to George on the no-call and she swished a staggering 3-point bomb.

Back to 72-71 ahead, the Boomers were back in the boxseat until Thornton decided turnabout is fair play and drove on George for the game winning layup.

Melbourne still had time to fashion out one last play but George's intended inbound pass to a cutting Tiffany Mitchell sailed out of her reach and the Flyers were home.

This deciding Game 3 in the best-of-3 semi final series started as a grind, defences on top and offences tentative as Southside took a 16-15 lead into the first break, Sara Blicavs leading the way.

George and Kristy Wallace dominated the scoring for Melbourne, the captain with 16 points to halftime but with Carley Ernst hitting some shots and Thornton more effective, Southside led 36-29 late in the second quarter.

By halftime it was Southside ahead 38-32, Melbourne's star import Tiffany Mitchell 1-of-11 from the floor and the Flyers controlling the momentum.

Mitchell was the Boomers' offensive focus in the third and shaking off her first half blues, had nine points in the first 3:15 as Melbourne pulled 44-40 clear.

Now it was Southside's turn to rally and did it behind the work of Bec Cole, Rocci and Nyadiew Puoch. By the last break it had broken a 51-51 deadlock to lead 56-51 on a 10-0 run featuring contributions from Blicavs, Cole, Monique Conti and Abby Bishop.

The latter took the score to 58-51 to start the last quarter, a 12-0 run from 46-51 down before the brilliance of Tiff Mitchell again shone out.

Melbourne's import was unstoppable as she dragged her team back into the lead at 60-58, Wallace leaving the game on five fouls when her team needed her on the court.

Olivia Nelson-Ogoda bumped the lead to four at 64-60 and when Cole and Rocci pulled back that deficit, it again was Mitchell who took the Boomers ahead 67-64.

From there, only the drama of the final 90 seconds awaited in a classic finish unduly influenced by an over-zealous official.

Southside now meets Townsville in Townsville on Saturday in Game 1 of the Grand Final Series, the Flyers chasing their fifth title - the three the club won as Dandenong Rangers seems to count now - since their last title in 2021 when they beat the Fire.

Townsville has won three championships and starts as the hot favourite for this best-of-3 series.

WNBL SEMI FINAL SERIES (Best-of-3)
SOUTHSIDE FLYERS (2) v DEAKIN MELBOURNE BOOMERS (3)
Game 1: FLYERS 84 (Blicavs 18, Cole 17, Thornton 14, Rocci 13, Bishop 10; Thornton 7 rebs; Rocci 7 assts) d BOOMERS 76 (T.Mitchell 36, Nelson-Ododa 11, Murray 10; George 14 rebs; Wallace 5 assts) at State Basketball Centre. Crowd: 1,623
Game 2: BOOMERS 96 (George 28, Wallace 27, T.Mitchell 18, Davidson 13; Nelson-Ododa 8 rebs; Wallace 6 assts) d FLYERS 77 (Blicavs 15, Cole 13, Conti, Rocci 11; Rocci 9 rebs; Rocci 8 assts) at Melbourne Sports Centres. Crowd: 2,477
Game 3: FLYERS 73 (Blicavs, Rocci 14, Thornton 12, Ernst 10; Bishop 12 rebs; Rocci 6 assts) d BOOMERS 72 (T.Mitchell 23, George 22, Wallace 8; George 13 rebs; Wallace, George 3 assts) at State Basketball Centre. Crowd: 1,815

Southside wins series 2-1

WNBL SEMI FINAL SERIES (Best-of-3)
TOWNSVILLE FIRE (1) v PERTH LYNX (4)
Game 1: FIRE 81 (Reid 24, Heal 14, Samuelson 13, Hawkins 11; Ruef 12 rebs; Ruef, Reid 3 assts) d LYNX 68 (Whitcomb 22, Scherf 18, Ryan 10; Atwell 9 rebs; Whitcomb, Scherf 5 assts) at Townsville Entertainment Centre. Crowd: 2,989
Game 2: FIRE 91 (Hawkins 23, Nicholson, Heal 15, Ruef 14, Reid 11; Hawkins, Ruef 8 rebs; Nicholson 7 assts) d LYNX 84 (Whitcomb 26, Bibby 18, Scherf, Ryan 13; Bibby 7 rebs; Whitcomb 7 assts) at Bendat Basketball Stadium. Crowd: 1,212

Townsville wins series 2-0