Trailing by seven goals at the final change, the Firebirds stormed home in Power 5 of the final quarter to reduce the margin to two goals.
Moments That Mattered
The Fever came to play in the first quarter and jumped out of the blocks building a 10-goal buffer going into the first change. It was a buffer which would prove vital as the game progressed.
Quarter by Quarter
Q1: WCF 25 | FIREBIRDS 15
Verity Simmons, Alice Teague-Neeld and Sasha Glasgow were at their energetic best as they fed Jhaniele Fowler who went into the quarter break with 19 goals.
Rudi Ellis was injected into the game halfway through the quarter when Captain Courtney Bruce rolled an ankle.
Q2: WCF 43 | FIREBIRDS 30
As Bruce returned to the court, Fever continued to control the contest as the Firebirds increased their defensive pressure.
Coach Dan Ryan reshuffled the defence with Ellis coming back into Goal Keeper and Bruce moving out to Goal Defence. Ellis helped to quell the influence of Firebirds Shooter Donnell Wallam with two Gains, two Deflections and a Rebound in the last six minutes of play.
Q3: WCF 58 | FIREBIRDS 51
The Firebirds started the second half strong with the first three goals before Fever responded as their defensive pressure lifted.
By the time Coach Ryan called a timeout leading into Power 5, Fever were in front by 12 goals. However, it was the Firebirds after the resumption that lifted their intensity to force errors from Fever.
A strong Power 5 from the home side reduced the Fever lead to seven at the final change.
Q4: WCF 73 | FIREBIRDS 71
The game lifted in intensity in the final quarter as the Firebirds chased down the Fever. Both sides traded control of the contest as Fever maintained their seven-goal lead going into Power 5.
Wallam then nailed four supershots to put the Fever under pressure and reduce the margin to two goals with seconds remaining.
Stats
Goals: Fowler 60 | Wallam 55
Super Shots: Glasgow 3 | Wallam 7
Goal Assists: Teague-Neeld 24 | Gardner 15
Feeds: Teague-Neeld 35 | Gardner 18
Centre Pass Receives: Teague-Neeld 28 | Dunkley 31
Deflections: Bruce 5 | Bakewell-Doran 5
Gains: Bruce 5 | Bakewell-Doran 4
