IN A balanced team performance from the Townsville Fire in the final round of the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL), it was Abbey Ellis who steered the ship for her side as they produced a commanding win over the Sydney Flames.

Coming into the clash, the standings were locked in, with both the Fire and the Flames set to play finals after locking in a top four spot. However, Wednesday night’s clash at Quaycentre offered the opportunity for both sides to get a bit of a tune-up ahead of the postseason, and get a look at the potential opposition as the race for the championship heats up.

It was a display of sheer dominance from the visitors, with Townsville strengthening its championship credentials with an emphatic showing against a fellow finalist. The Flames simply lacked the offensive firepower to match the scoring avenues available to the Fire, and after a one-sided start to the contest, the visiting side ended up claiming a whopping 33-point win on the eve of finals.

Ellis was the biggest positive for the Fire with the guard delivering an efficient offensive performance to help her side establish dominance against a quality opponent.

Sydney Flames (50) def. by Townsville Fire (83)

Abbey Ellis – 16 points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals

Ellis was the standout in an extremely even showing from the Fire, with the former Purdue Boilermaker showing why her scoring ability is highly regarded.

It was Ellis’ efforts in the first quarter that helped the visitors gain dominance in the first quarter, as she caught Fire (pardon the pun) in the opening minutes of the game. She set up the first basket of the game with a nifty pass to Alicia Froling, before getting involved on the scoring front herself.

The Fire were able to build a massive lead on the back of 12 quick points from the Melbourne-born guard, with Ellis scoring both inside and out as she worked hard to poke holes in Sydney’s defence, successfully doing so. She knocked down a pair of triples early, finding her eye as the Flames defenders overcommitted on guarding some of her star teammates.

Although she only scored another four points for the match, Ellis did not need to do too much as she had already set up the team for victory, with Townsville leading 27-15 at the first change, in the box seat and the Fire did not concede for the remainder of the contest.

Heading into the finals, the Fire are already one of the most dangerous sides given their roster depth, and Ellis’ first quarter explosion makes that prospect even better for Townsville, and much more ominous for opponents.