By Rosie Gale
Th West Coast Fever have claimed the Round 1 grand final rematch with a thrilling win (62-61) over their rivals the Melbourne Vixens.
In the absence of key defender Jo Weston and long-range shooter Rahni Samason, The Melbourne Vixens did well to almost cause an upset against the defending champions, but couldn’t quite get the job done.
The Fever stormed out of the blocks in the first quarter with a 5-point lead but in true Vixens form, a couple substitutions shifted momentum which helped drive a comeback in the second term.
Goalkeeper Liv Lewis made the crucial breakthrough for the Vixens. Every time the Fever managed to grab a slight advantage, Lewis rose to the occasion and delivered a soaring pass to the game's most valuable player, Jhaniele Fowler.
In the third quarter, with the Fever leading by a razor-thin margin, their latest addition, Kim Jenner, was introduced as the goal defence and made immediate impact, disrupting the flow of play and forcing a turnover.
As the players battled for possession, a collision led to Vixens' defender Em Mannix suffering a blow to the head and having to temporarily leave the court. In her place, Wiradjuri player Gabby Coffey made an impressive debut.
Mannix was soon deemed fit to continue playing and returned to the game soon after.
The Fever continued to lead the majority of the contest, and after goaler Sasha Glasgow sunk a super shot in the final minute it seemed impossible for the Vixens.
But the Vixens came close to getting a measure of revenge when Kiera Austin pulled off her second super shot with 40 seconds to go to level the scores.
It was Jhaniele Fowler who scored on the siren to hold on by a solitary goal. Fowler was a standout for the Fever, shooting 55 from 55 (100%).
“It was very intense, good job to the Vixens who brought it in the last 10 minutes of the game, but congrats to my girls, we held on and didn’t let it get to us," she said.
“I reckon just us taking on each week differently and knowing that we have what it takes to take on each round and to stay motivated within ourselves”.
