By Rosie Gale
The Queensland Firebirds have secured their second win of the season in a thrilling encounter against the Collingwood Magpies, coming out on top with a final score of 73-67 at home.
With outstanding performances from Donnell Wallam, Emily Moore and Ruby Bakewell-Doran the Firebirds' fierce defensive pressure and unstoppable attack proved too much for the Pies to handle.
The Firebirds came out strong in the first quarter, with Donell Wallam nailing the opening goal from a confident feed by Lara Dunkley, who looked sharp from the outset.
Remi Kamo's one-on-one defence on Shimona Nelson, and a pickup from Ruby Bakewell-Doran allowed Wallam to score a layup, giving the Firebirds a three-goal advantage in the first few minutes.
The Firebirds were on fire, applying relentless pressure on the Magpies. Wallam continued to be a dominant force in the circle, and a missed shot from Nelson, followed by a rebound by the Firebirds, led to another goal from Wallam, extending their lead to four early on. A turnover from the Magpies gave the Firebirds an opportunity to push their lead to five at the 11-minute mark.
The Magpies fought back impressively to tie things up, and the game became a back-and-forth battle with both teams trading goals.
In Power Five time both teams opting for conservative one-pointers, but Emily Moore broke the deadlock with a stunning two-point shot, pushing the score to 14-12 with three minutes to go.
The Magpies resisted the temptation to go for the supershot, and an overcooked pass from Kim Ravaillion to Wallam gave the Magpies a chance to respond, which they did, tying the game at 14-14 with 1:30 to go.
With a minute to go, the Magpies took the lead by one, but Bakewell-Doran's intercept and quick pass to Wallam went unconverted, and the Magpies failed to find a goal to take the lead. The Firebirds held on, and the teams went into the half-time break tied at 15-15.
The sustained pressure from the Firebirds dropped off in the second quarter, and the Magpies found more space. Kelsey Browne was instrumental in this, getting her hands on a lot of ball and finding pockets of space. Sophie Garbin's depth in the circle was impressive too.
Another overpowered pass into Wallam saw the Pies with a turnover, and the Magpies took the lead for the first time. The Firebirds tried to mix up their defensive structure, but it failed to make an impact as Wallam continued to dominate under the post.
Wallam scored a Super Shot, but Garbin responded with one of her own, putting the Magpies back in front.
Just as quickly, Wallam's strong pull in and layup put the Firebirds back in front, but Bakewell-Doran hit the deck, and Garbin scored another Super Shot to bring the Magpies within one point.
Wallam missed a Super Shot with 20 seconds to go, and the Magpies had an opportunity. Nelson scored, snatching the advantage and taking the lead to two as the quarter ended (37-35).
The third quarter saw Hulita Veve step onto the court as an injury replacement player for Macey Gardner, up against Molly Jovic. The Firebirds had a fumble, but the Pies couldn't quite capitalise.
Despite the score, the Firebirds looked in control early in the quarter. Veve was poised, pushing to the top of the circle and feeding nicely into Wallam, bringing the score to 40 apiece.
But the Firebirds weren't done yet. A fantastic deflection from Bakewell-Doran and a back-up from Dunkley, paved the way for Wallam's beautiful finish and shifted the momentum in their favour.
The Firebirds were on fire, with another clinical layup from Wallam and more impressive contests from Bakewell-Doran and Ravaillion.
As Power Five time approached, Remi Kamo came in with a great aerial intercept, allowing Wallam to deliver a crucial score and push them out to a seven-goal lead.
Garbin missed two Super Shots, and the Firebirds opted for a conservative goal keeping a six goal lead. But Garbin found Nelson under the post to finish with a point.
Garbin couldn't quite drain a Super Shot and Nelson finished with a goal under the post. However, a great intercept from Ash Brazil gave Garbin another chance at the Super Shot, which she scored - but unfortunately, it was after the whistle.
In the final quarter, Collingwood opened the scoring, but their 0% gain to goal rate was a cause for concern. They had another opportunity, but once again, couldn't convert. Meanwhile, Nelson continued to rack up the Nissan Net Points for Collingwood.
The Firebirds remained patient. Bakewell-Doran's consistent pressure on Garbin was wearing her down, and the Firebirds pushed their lead to seven with just eight minutes remaining.
A tactical timeout was called by the Magpie just before Power Five time.
Sophie Garbin moved to GS and Kelly Singleton came on with fresh legs at GA with the aim to sink some Super Shots and claw back the lead. Singleton missed, but Garbin secured the rebound and the goaler had another chance, this time she succeeded.
Singleton missed a crucila another Super Shot, but this time Collingwood couldn't maintain posession as Bakewell-Doran pulled in the rebound.
Veve then got a crucial intercept to hold back the Pies.
Garbin scored a Super shot, but it was too little too late. The Firebirds still led by five.
Ravaillion went long, and Wallam finished off with a goal on the buzzer, taking the home side to their second win of the season.
It was a well-fought battle, with both teams giving it their all to revive their season, but the Firebirds ultimately emerged victorious with a final score of 73-67.
