THE Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) continued to entertain fans over the weekend, with Saturday night holding the clash between the Melbourne Boomers and the Townsville Fire at Melbourne Sports Centre – Parkville. It was an anticipated matchup given the two sides have performed well to start the season, and the game certainly lived up to the hype, going right down to the wire. It was one of the most exciting contests of the year, with both sides producing some tense, high quality basketball. The result was remarkably unpredictable throughout the match, with both sides going on strong runs before the opposition was able to peg back the lead and keep things interesting. Despite a ripping contest, it was the Fire who were able to get the win, holding on by two points (68-66) to emerge victorious.

FIRST QUARTER

The opening period belonged to the home side, bursting out of the gates with some impressive ball movement and efficient shooting. They were extremely exciting to watch with ball in hand and were unstoppable on the offensive end for a large part of the quarter. It was an unexpected start to the match, given the similar calibre of season the teams are enjoying, and this was largely due to the Fire not being able to get their offense rolling. The margin was quite one-sided at quarter time, with the Boomers enjoying a 16-point lead.

SECOND QUARTER

The second quarter saw a much more even contest, with Townsville able to finally fire with ball in hand. It was an extremely high-scoring affair for this time, with both sides able to find the bottom of the net with ease, thanks to some handy work from both inside the paint and behind the three-point line. Eziyoda Magbegor was able to really get involved for the Boomers, but the Fire were able to match this scoring for the term, reducing the margin by one point by the time the main break rolled around.

THIRD QUARTER

The second half opened with the Fire continuing to mount a comeback, showing exactly why they are one of the championship contenders for this season. They were ruthless on both ends of the court, not allowing their opponents many opportunities to score with ease, while also finding the bottom of the net plenty of times themselves. Cayla George was one of the big factors in this, inspiring her side with some remarkable play all over the court. The margin was chipped back to 10 points heading into the fourth quarter with the Fire taking some hope into the final period.

FOURTH QUARTER

The final term simply belonged to the visitors, with Townsville dominating the entire term. They were unstoppable on the defensive end, only conceding four points for the quarter thanks to some energetic play whenever the Boomers were looking to move the ball and create a shot. While it was not as high-scoring as some of their previous quarters, the Fire were still able to make the necessary plays, and when Lauren Nicholson gave her side the lead with just minutes remaining, the Boomers were unable to conjure an answer as the Fire ran out two-point winners.

CLOSING THOUGHTS …

There were no players more impressive than George, who was ridiculously crucial in almost guiding her side to win. She poured in 24 points and 14 rebounds in an inspirational performance. She was not only a threat inside the paint, but also from deep, nailing four shots from behind the three-point line. She was well-aided by teammate Magbegor, who finished with 14 points. For the victors, Nicholson led the way for the victors with 22 points in an impressive performance on the offensive end.