The West Coast Fever have won their fourth straight match of 2021, outlasting a brave Adelaide Thunderbirds side on Saturday night for a 70-62 point victory.
After fighting back from an eight-point deficit to level the scores at half time and then build a seven-point lead in the third, Fever had to withstand a fight back from the Thunderbirds in the fourth quarter at Netball SA Stadium.
Three consecutive super-shots saw the home side halve a 10-point margin with less than two minutes remaining before Fever steadied and Jhaniele Fowler sealed the win with a super-shot of her own.
Fever Head Coach Stacey Marinkovich said it was a hard-fought win over a determined opponent.
“Full credit to Adelaide, they were connecting very well and their defensive pressure was outstanding. I think we were a little bit flat-footed … there were things that we can definitely fix but we’ve got to get better at our starts,” she said.
“I think it shows the standard of the competition that anybody on any given day can produce some really good netball.
“We are sustaining it for three quarters but we’re not getting the starts, so we’ve got to look to get the four quarters.”
After starting the game with the same seven as last week, Marinkovich changed the line-up to commence the second quarter, moving Jess Anstiss to Centre, Verity Charles to Wing Attack and Stacey Francis-Bayman into Wing Defence, with Sunday Aryang in Goal Defence alongside Goal Keeper Courtney Bruce.
Sasha Glasgow continued her excellent contribution at the attacking end, scoring seven goals and two super-shots while also playing a pivotal role in feeding Fowler with 19 goal assists.
Jess Anstiss with 17 assists and Verity Charles with 14 assists, also played an important role through the midcourt, helping Fowler break 100 Nissan Net Points for the second week in a row with a total of 110 from 54 goals and five rebounds.
Sam Gooden continued her strong start to the 2021 season for the Thunderbirds, as the Super Shot league leader added another five two-pointers in just 13-minutes of court time. Reigning Rebel Rising Star winner Maisie Nankivell also shined for the home side, leading all players with 42 feeds and 26 goal assists.
The Thunderbirds will be hoping to secure win number one in Round 5 against the Sunshine Coast Lightning next Sunday, while the Fever return to Perth to host GIANTS at RAC Arena on Monday, May 31.
