THE WNBL kicked off Round 5 on Wednesday night, with the Kristy Wallace-led Melbourne Boomers handing the Townsville Fire a second consecutive loss to the tune of six points in a thrilling finish.

The Fire started the season undefeated, but the Boomers proved slightly too good for Townsville, with the victors moving into second spot in the standings with a 5-1 record. On the other hand, the Fire dropped down to third and will be eager to get back on the winners’ list.

Leading the way in Melbourne’s win was Wallace who did a bit of everything in her side’s win and played a crucial role across all four quarters. She finished the match impacting the game in almost every facet, and although she might not have topped the scoring list, her all-around efforts made her the most damaging player on the court.

Melbourne Boomers (84) def. Townsville Fire (78)

Kristy Wallace – 17 points, seven rebounds, seven assists

Wallace was able to produce a well-balanced performance in Wednesday’s win, with the 26-year-old stuffing the stat sheet in the three key areas of the game.

Although she shot just 43 per cent from the field, Wallace managed to grind her way to 14 crucial points for the winning side. Six of her 14 attempts from the field found the bottom of the net, and the guard chimed in for some big buckets from behind the arc. She went 3/5 from downtown, not afraid to fire after her teammates found her open on the perimeter.

Wallace also showed no fear in the biggest moments of the game, being tasked with the biggest free throws of the match. With just 20 seconds remaining and the Fire still within striking distance, Wallace was sent to the charity stripe with the opportunity to ice the game, which she did, going two from two in crunch time.

The ball movement of the Boomers was one of the biggest factors in the game’s result, with the victors zipping the ball around the perimeter to find the open player instead of taking low percentage shots. Wallace was one of the main figures in this area, making the right decision with her quick reaction time and elite court vision. Her seven assists were the equal-most of anyone on the court and the highest of any Melbourne player.

Despite being a guard and standing at just five-foot-11, Wallace was one of the game’s premier rebounders, crashing the boards in the form of loose balls and unpredictable deflections off the rim. Two came on the offensive end and generated second-chance points for the Boomers. With the talls on her team often occupied with boxing out, it allowed the 26-year-old to fly in third up and snatch the board.

Wallace was able to impact the game in more ways than one, doing a bit of everything to ensure her side claimed their best win of the season.