Sunshine Girl Jhaniele Fowler-Reid outshone Trinidadian counterpart, Samantha Wallace, by setting a new league record for the most points in a match as red-hot West Coast Fever won their fifth in six outings with an 80-71 victory over New South Wales Swifts in Australia on Saturday.
Entering the contest at the Nissan Arena without a defeat since their sixth-round demise at the hands of Queensland Firebirds on August 22, Fever used a dominant first quarter where they out-shot Swifts 23-15, to lay the platform for the eventual result and extend their six-game unbeaten run in the Suncorp Super Netball League.
The 31-year-old Fowler-Reid shot 68 goals from 71 attempts to lead Fever’s charge, in what was perhaps one of her finest performances of the season.
She netted 20 of Fever’s first-quarter goals and was again on target in a crucial second quarter, scoring all 16 of their goals as they led 39-31 at the half-time whistle.
For the second straight quarter, Fowler-Reid scored all 22 of Fever’s goals in the third as Swifts answered with 20 and even though the reigning champions got the edge, 20-19, in the final quarter, it was not enough for the win.
The previous record for the most points in the game was also set by Fowler-Reid when she poured in 66 against Adelaide Thunderbirds two years ago.
“I wasn’t aware of that – that’s really cool,” Fowler said after being made aware of her record-breaking performance. “The girls feed a lot of balls in so I had to score them.”
Wallace was a perfect 25 of 25 and was particularly effective in the final quarter when she netted 15, as Swifts attempted a comeback.
At the same venue, 21-year-old Sunshine Girl Shimona Nelson grabbed the spotlight but her Collingwood Magpies wasted a powerful start to slump to a 61-53 defeat to Melbourne Vixens.
Nelson scored 43 from 44 attempts while for the winners, Australian Tegan Philip shot 22 from 26 and Caitlin Thwaites, 19 from 20 attempts.
The Magpies rushed to a 17-12 first-quarter lead but then suffered a meltdown in the second quarter, out-scored 18-9 to trail 26-30 at the half, and then failing to recover.
On Sunday at the USC Stadium in Sunshine Coast, another Jamaican shooter Romelda Aiken starred in another losing effort as her Queensland Firebirds went down 75-67 to Sunshine Coast Lightning.
The 31-year-old Aiken netted 46 from 51 attempts but Firebirds were also guilty of wasting a strong start, fading badly when it mattered most.
Firebirds dominated the first quarter 20-13 but then lost the second, 17-19, before being outscored in both remaining quarters.
Vixens remained top of the standings with 42 points, 10 clear of Lightning with Fever third on 30 and Swifts lying fourth on 28 points.
CMC
