AN EXCELLENT performance and game-winner from Townsville Fire star Courtney Woods has led her side to a thrilling one-point win over the Adelaide Lightning at Adelaide 36ers Arena on Friday night.

The Fire had been one of the better sides in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) to start the season, but sustained a hefty 26-point defeat at the hands of the Perth Lynx on Wednesday night in a disappointing start to the round.

On the other hand, the Lightning had shown signs of promise behind some strong play from young gun Isobel Borlase, but struggled to consistently convert it into wins. However, home court advantage was a massive bonus and they came up against a vulnerable opposition.

After a back and forth contest, the Lightning held an eight-point lead with a few minutes to play, but it was not over yet. The Fire made one last run to get back in the game, and trailed by just one point with just seconds left on the clock, and Woods was the hero, beating the buzzer to win the game for Townsville.

Adelaide Lightning (68) def. by Townsville Fire (69)

Courtney Woods – 25 points, five rebounds, eight assists

Woods was the star of the show for the Fire, continuing to thrive as a go-to option on the offensive end and proving a match-winner against the Lightning.

With time winding down, the Fire looked to get a shot off from behind the perimeter, but when the three-pointer was wayward, the rebound bubbled out to Woods, who put up a floater that banked in as time expired. It was reward for an excellent individual performance in the match, and further demonstrated that the Fire were only in a game-winning position because Woods nailed a lay-up on the play before.

She was also the game’s leading scorer with 25 points on 9/20 shooting from the field, orchestrating the offence perfectly with a healthy balance of passing and scoring. Although Woods preferred to take her defender off the dribble and burst past the Lightning to score close to the basket, she was also deadly from behind the arc, knocking down three triples on four attempts.

As a passer, she got her teammates involved with precision and timing, drawing the defence in given how dangerous she can be on the offensive end. Often, the opposition collapsed on Woods when she drove to the basket, allowing the Townsville star the opportunity to dish off to a teammate, and she finished the contest with eight dimes.

It was the perfect ending to a strong performance from Woods, who has fully cemented herself as one of the best players in the WNBL, and proved match-winning on Friday to help her team bounce back with a win.