Townsville Fire are one win away from their fourth WNBL championship after demolishing Southside Flyers 94-63 in game one of the best-of-three grand final series.
Key points:
- The Fire’s winning margin was the largest in a grand final game
- Shyla Heal scored 23 points for the Fire
- Game two of the grand final series will be played in Melbourne on Wednesday
The 31-point winning margin at the Townsville Entertainment Centre on Saturday night was the largest in WNBL grand final history.
The Fire set up their 15th consecutive victory with a commanding 28-14 scoreline at the end of the first quarter.
Explosive back-up guard Shyla Heal had 23 points at 90 per cent in 20 minutes, while gun import Tianna Hawkins posted 20 before sitting out the entire fourth period.
Acting captain Bec Cole (20 points) played a virtual lone hand for the sluggish Flyers, whose gruelling, physical three-game semifinal series against Melbourne appeared to take its toll.
Cole and Sara Blicavs were the only two Southside players to score in the opening term, which was dominated by the Fire.
Premier Flyers import Kayla Thornton did not hit the scoreboard until inside the last two minutes of the first half, at the end of which the Fire held sway 57-38.
Heal busted Southside’s zone defence with 13 second-quarter points, while the Fire continued to prosper getting downhill on the Flyers’ poor ball use, outscoring the visitors 15-4 off turnovers.
Fire captain Lauren Nicholson paced an 11-2 start to the third stanza to push the hosts ahead 68-40.
Cole spearheaded an 8-0 mini-revival before Courtney Woods’s punch off the bench gave the momentum back to the Fire, who led 78-52 at three-quarter-time.
The Fire’s bench belted the Flyers’ 46-14 with Heal dominant and Woods continuing to drain buckets as the margin swelled out of control.
The Flyers will need to improve immeasurably when the series moves to Melbourne’s State Basketball Centre for game two on Wednesday.
AAP
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