By Chloe Pilkington
The Queensland Firebirds continue to breathe new life into their season, defeating the NSW Swifts 61-60 in a must-win clash at Ken Rosewall Arena.
With star player Donnell Wallam unexpectedly sidelined due to illness, enormous pressure fell on Tippah Dwan and Emily Moore. Both shooters rose to the challenge, giving their all on the court and leading the purple army to victory.
Another stand out for the Firebirds was player of the match Macy Gardner. The young gun ticked over 126.5 Nissan Net Points, delivering 40 feeds and 22 goal assists while maintaining her composure throughout the gruelling match.
All four shooters were on the board early in the opening quarter, with Tonga International Uneeq Palavi making her second appearance on court for the NSW Swifts.
The first term appeared to favour the Swifts, who surged to a six-goal lead, prompting a Firebirds' timeout. Emily Moore's Super Shot kept the Firebirds within striking distance, but the hosts held a four-goal advantage at the end of the quarter.
The Firebirds maintained their momentum early in the second term, embarking on a three-goal streak without reply and levelling the score thanks to a crucial intercept by Ruby Bakewell-Doran.
Isabelle Shearer entered the game at goal keeper, moving Remi Kamo to the bench, as the Firebirds capitalised on the Swifts' defensive lapses to maintain their lead. However, the Swifts hastily regained momentum, scoring four consecutive goals to get their noses out in front.
Helen Housby and Tippah Dwan traded multiple two-pointers down each end, before Palavi opted to take a shot under the ring to bring the Swifts up by one-goal at halftime.
With Wallam unavailable for the purple army in Round 12, it was unsurprising to see Dwan start to tire as the match wore on. Sarah Klau easily intercepted Dwan's mid-range miss, capitalising on the Firebirds' height disadvantage in the circle to give the Swifts an edge.
Firebirds' midcourters Gardner and Dunkley worked overtime to swing the ball around and open up the circle. But, the long reach of Klau and O'Shannassy wreaked havoc for the the travelling side and the Swifts continued to push out their lead.
A Super Shot from Palavi forced another Firebirds' timeout and saw Moore and Dwan switch positions, with Dwan moving to goal shooter and Moore out to goal attack.
Dwan kept her side in toe, sinking two crucial Super Shots. A poorly placed pass to Housby presented a golden opportunity for the Firebirds, which Dwan capitalised on by nailing another Super Shot to tie the score at 49-all with a season defining quarter left to be played out.
The final term became a test of nerve, with both teams fiercely fighting to keep their finals aspirations alive. Sophie Fawns made her first appearance of the game on the eve of the Power Five, immediately draining a Super Shot and taking the Swifts out to a three-goal lead.
'We said we're going to make it happen, and we're going to make it happen right here,' were the words of Firebirds co-coach Katie Walker during their final timeout with four minutes remaining.
In a thrilling sequence of events, Dwan levelled the game with a decisive Super Shot with just 90 seconds remaining on the clock. Shortly after, Helen Housby opted for a one-pointer, giving the Swifts a slim lead at 60-59. However, Moore swiftly responded with a clutch Super Shot, propelling the Firebirds into a one-goal lead as the clock wound down.
Sophie Fawns cracked under pressure, unable to sink a Super Shot on the buzzer and the Firebirds took home the crucial four-points.
