THE Melbourne Vixens continued their charge towards the finals with a 12 goal win over the struggling West Coast Fever (64-52). The Vixens won three out of the four bonus points highlighting their ability to close out quarters and pile on the pressure while Fever had moments of brilliance but simply could not sustain that intensity.

Melbourne got out to a hot start establishing a six goal to one lead early in the term before the Fever worked their way back into the contest. But accuracy proved no issue for the Vixens with Caitlin Thwaites nailing 10 goals straight while her partner in crime, Tegan Philip only missed one shot for the quarter with nine from 10. The two combined effortlessly in the goal circle and created good space to capitalise on their opportunities, while their ability to turn and shoot from anywhere in the circle caused havoc for the Fever defence who were unable to quell their influence under the post from the get go. However, Fever goal keeper Courtney Bruce showcased her defensive prowess reading the play and picking off passes to amass three gains and two intercepts in the opening term credit to her slick footwork and impressive timing. Up the other end, Jhaniele Fowler was firing on all cylinders with the towering shooter nailing 13 goals at 100 percent highlighting her composure, ball control and strength to reign balls in and convert.

The intensity from the Vixens well and truly increased in the second quarter denying any easy transition down the court for the Fever and limiting their scoring opportunities only scoring 11 goals compared to 19. Goal defence Jo Weston went about her business applying strong hands over pressure and contesting every ball to force turnovers. Her strong connection with Renae Ingles and Emily Mannix helped to slow down the Fever while she racked up one intercept, two deflections and one gain for her efforts. Through the midcourt the likes of Liz Watson and Kate Moloney upped the ante delivering ball into Thwaites and Philip with ease while also using their speed and dynamic movement to open up the attacking third. Watson lead the way with 10 goal assists and six centre pass receives highlighting the work she does across the court. With the Fever struggling to make inroads into their deficit Stacey Francis made her way onto the court in wing defence replacing Jess Anstiss. Francis showcased her experience and class to try and work Watson overtime with her physicality and strong pressure but it was to no avail. The Vixens pushed out to a 12 goal lead at half time and did not look back.

The Fever won the third term 15-12 credit to Fowler in the goal circle as well as an increased work load from the defensive end. Although goal attack Alice Teague-Neeld did not put up a shot in the third she did a wealth of work out the front to feed into Fowler but was later replaced by debutant Beryl Friday who created attacking plays with her strong drives and intent. She also showed she was not afraid to back herself nailing two goals at 100 percent. She was not the only change for the Fever with Olivia Lewis brought on in goal keeper, pushing Bruce out to goal defence. The move paid dividends with Bruce highlighting her defensive and attacking attributes with two goal assists, three deflections, one gain and one intercept. Verity Charles lifted her intensity through the midcourt driving hard and tussling hard for circle edge with five goal assists while also showcasing her defensive skills with an intercept. The ball seemed to fall the Fever’s way but the Vixens toiled hard to retain their lead.

With the game all but in the bag the Melbourne Vixens did not take their foot off the pedal working hard across the court to challenge the Fever. Thwaites pushed out to goal attack in the last term while Philip swapped into shooter with the two adjusting quickly. With five minutes left, fan favourite Mwai Kumwenda returned to the court for the first time since her ACL injury last year and did not miss a beat, scoring three goals. For the Fever, Teague-Neeld made her way back onto the court but the change made little difference credit to the pressure from the Vixens.

STARTING LINE-UP:

MELBOURNE VIXENS:

GS |Caitlin Thwaites
GA |Tegan Philip
WA |Liz Watson
C |Kate Moloney
WD |Renae Ingles
GD |Jo Weston
GK |Emily Mannix

WEST COAST FEVER:

GS |Jhaniele Fowler
GA |Alice Teague-Neeld
WA |Ingrid Colyer
C |Verity Charles
WD |Jess Anstiss
GD |Shannon Eagland
GK |Courtney Bruce