A dominant second half proved the difference for the West Coast Fever against the NSW Swifts in Sunday’s Suncorp Super Netball Round 4 clash at Ken Rosewall Arena.
While the game was in the balance at halftime, the West Australians took full advantage of Swifts errors with Jamaican shooting duo Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard and Shanice Beckford proving hard to stop.
The sides were evenly matched in the first half with both enjoying periods of domination but it’s the Fever who remain unbeaten so far in 2024, running out 75-59 victors in the end.
The Swifts were looking for three wins on the bounce and while they were in the contest for much of it, they will rue the errors that gave Fever momentum. The seven-time Premiers won ball back but Fever were the team who converted their chances better.
Earlier in the week Maddy Proud said if you let West Coast get a head of steam up they can punish like no other team and that proved to be the case. Having got the better of the Fever in last year's Preliminary Final, the Swifts knew a backlash was coming and so it came to pass.
To be fair, the scoreline will flatter the Perth side who were tested more than it might suggest, but their second half display was excellent nevertheless.
The defence of MVP Sunday Aryang and Kadie-Ann Dehaney was a thorn in the Swifts’ side all afternoon. It stymied the Swifts attack at key moments and wrestled control when the game looked to be in the balance.
NSW remain the competition top four after this weekend but the Swifts will need to lick their wounds quickly with the undefeated Melbourne Vixens arriving in Sydney next week.
The first half had all the makings of a classic. A pulsating end-to-end pattern of play in the opening quarter was eventually broken when the Dehaney and Aryang were quicker to pounce on inaccuracy in the Swifts attack end.
Despite both teams looking very evenly matched in the first 10 minutes the Fever were quick to compound the Swifts’ errors with brilliance in the shooting circle.
Fowler-Nembhard showed she’s a treat from any range in the circle by landing the first Super Shot of the afternoon and her compatriot Beckford followed suit to power the West Australians 23-15 ahead at the end of Q1.
The next quarter would be a different story, however. The Swifts emerged from the short break a different team and suddenly it was the hosts who were first to every loose ball.
Samantha Wallace-Joseph was the calm target the home side needed up front and when the defence served up some excellent deflections the Trinidad & Tobago star was on hand to convert, working nicely with both Helen Housby and Sophie Fawns.
Once the Power Five hit it was Fawns who stepped up to score three consecutive two-pointers and bring the Swifts right back into the game. They won the second period 18-12 to leave just two goals between the sides at halftime (35-33).
The teams continued to be well matched for much of the third quarter but once the Fever had the chance to bolt, they did.
Swifts MVP Housby had a rare off night from long range and when the home side had to chase the game it left them vulnerable, and the Fever made them pay.
FULL MATCH STATS
