Thunderbirds suffer shock Super Netball loss to Giants
The Adelaide Thunderbirds' pursuit of a Super Netball title three-peat is on shaky ground after losing Shamera Sterling-Humphrey for the season and suffering a 64-63 loss to the Giants at Ken Rosewall Arena.
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The Advertiser
7 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Fever too hot for Mavs, make it eight straight
White-hot West Coast Fever have stretched their Super Netball winning streak to eight with a 69-63 win over the Melbourne Mavericks at John Cain Arena. The second-ranked Fever (8-2) started with a bang on Saturday, dominating the first half before warding off a late Mavericks rally with relative ease. Wing attack Alice Teague-Neeld racked up 23 assists from 33 feeds, connecting superbly with star shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, who buried all 57 of her one-point attempts. West Coast joined the ladder-leading NSW Swifts on 32 points, although the Sydneysiders boast a superior percentage and have a game in hand (on Sunday against the Giants). "That was a massive grind for us," Teague-Neeld said. "We really wanted to back up our performance (from) last week (against the Swifts) and the Mavs really made us work for that. "A little bit inconsistent but really happy to get the win." West Coast rode a clinical 6-1 head start to a 22-15 quarter-time cushion. Melbourne's defence gave up too many early penalties as they tried in vain to curb the Fever's attacking trio of Teague-Neeld, Fowler-Nembhard and Shanice Beckford. Turnovers piled up for the home side in the second stanza, allowing West Coast to extend their advantage to 38-27 at halftime. The gap swelled to 13 early in the third before the Mavs shifted some magnets around in attack and seized the initiative for the first time. Molly Jovic was brilliant through the middle, Shimona Jok clinical in the circle and long-range specialist Sasha Glasgow's super-shot on the three-quarter time horn trimmed the Fever's lead to 52-44. The fourth stanza started as a goal-for-goal shootout before a flurry of Uneeq Palavi two-pointers - she went 4-of-5 from long range for the term and 6-of-8 overall - dragged Melbourne to within five goals in the dying stages. But time - and their substandard start - was always the Mavericks' enemy. White-hot West Coast Fever have stretched their Super Netball winning streak to eight with a 69-63 win over the Melbourne Mavericks at John Cain Arena. The second-ranked Fever (8-2) started with a bang on Saturday, dominating the first half before warding off a late Mavericks rally with relative ease. Wing attack Alice Teague-Neeld racked up 23 assists from 33 feeds, connecting superbly with star shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, who buried all 57 of her one-point attempts. West Coast joined the ladder-leading NSW Swifts on 32 points, although the Sydneysiders boast a superior percentage and have a game in hand (on Sunday against the Giants). "That was a massive grind for us," Teague-Neeld said. "We really wanted to back up our performance (from) last week (against the Swifts) and the Mavs really made us work for that. "A little bit inconsistent but really happy to get the win." West Coast rode a clinical 6-1 head start to a 22-15 quarter-time cushion. Melbourne's defence gave up too many early penalties as they tried in vain to curb the Fever's attacking trio of Teague-Neeld, Fowler-Nembhard and Shanice Beckford. Turnovers piled up for the home side in the second stanza, allowing West Coast to extend their advantage to 38-27 at halftime. The gap swelled to 13 early in the third before the Mavs shifted some magnets around in attack and seized the initiative for the first time. Molly Jovic was brilliant through the middle, Shimona Jok clinical in the circle and long-range specialist Sasha Glasgow's super-shot on the three-quarter time horn trimmed the Fever's lead to 52-44. The fourth stanza started as a goal-for-goal shootout before a flurry of Uneeq Palavi two-pointers - she went 4-of-5 from long range for the term and 6-of-8 overall - dragged Melbourne to within five goals in the dying stages. But time - and their substandard start - was always the Mavericks' enemy. White-hot West Coast Fever have stretched their Super Netball winning streak to eight with a 69-63 win over the Melbourne Mavericks at John Cain Arena. The second-ranked Fever (8-2) started with a bang on Saturday, dominating the first half before warding off a late Mavericks rally with relative ease. Wing attack Alice Teague-Neeld racked up 23 assists from 33 feeds, connecting superbly with star shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, who buried all 57 of her one-point attempts. West Coast joined the ladder-leading NSW Swifts on 32 points, although the Sydneysiders boast a superior percentage and have a game in hand (on Sunday against the Giants). "That was a massive grind for us," Teague-Neeld said. "We really wanted to back up our performance (from) last week (against the Swifts) and the Mavs really made us work for that. "A little bit inconsistent but really happy to get the win." West Coast rode a clinical 6-1 head start to a 22-15 quarter-time cushion. Melbourne's defence gave up too many early penalties as they tried in vain to curb the Fever's attacking trio of Teague-Neeld, Fowler-Nembhard and Shanice Beckford. Turnovers piled up for the home side in the second stanza, allowing West Coast to extend their advantage to 38-27 at halftime. The gap swelled to 13 early in the third before the Mavs shifted some magnets around in attack and seized the initiative for the first time. Molly Jovic was brilliant through the middle, Shimona Jok clinical in the circle and long-range specialist Sasha Glasgow's super-shot on the three-quarter time horn trimmed the Fever's lead to 52-44. The fourth stanza started as a goal-for-goal shootout before a flurry of Uneeq Palavi two-pointers - she went 4-of-5 from long range for the term and 6-of-8 overall - dragged Melbourne to within five goals in the dying stages. But time - and their substandard start - was always the Mavericks' enemy.
The Advertiser
7 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Adelaide sink Firebirds, title defence back on track
The Adelaide Thunderbirds' bid for a Super Netball title three-peat is back on track, moving into the top four with a gritty 65-58 victory over the Queensland Firebirds. The two-time reigning champions were made to sweat at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday night, the result not sealed until the final two minutes. Star defender Latanya Wilson was the standout for the Thunderbirds with 10 deflections and nine gains, while fellow Jamaican Romelda Aiken-George nailed 50 goals at the other end to inflict Queensland's eighth successive defeat. "We weren't good last weekend (home loss to the bottom-placed Giants)," Wilson said. "I'm happy that my team went back to the drawing board. "I said to myself that my team needed (me) and if I can go out there and bring the fire, especially in that second quarter, our guys were going to fight." The Firebirds had threatened to pull away early with Tongan centre Hulita Veve bossing the midcourt and Abigail Latu-Meafou subbing in and duly sinking a pair of two-pointers. But thanks to the brilliance of Wilson, who amassed a whopping five gains for the term, Adelaide edged in front 17-15 at quarter-time. Thunderbirds captain Hanny Petty's sixth turnover then saw Queensland creep ahead 26-22 before Adelaide coach Tania Obst called a time-out, swung Georgie Horjus into goal attack, Tayla Williams to wing attack and demanded better energy and skills. During the huddle, Wilson was particularly vocal, pointedly telling her teammates "this is not good enough". Wilson led by example, continuing to rack up the deflections and intercepts as she spearheaded a 7-0 surge to give the T'birds back control. Outscored 12-10 in a scrappy second term, the Firebirds looked far more dangerous in the third. Macy Gardner, Mary Cholhok and Latu-Meafou combined well in attack as Queensland won the quarter 20-17 to slice the deficit to one goal. Veve's hot early start came crashing down with a swag of fourth-quarter cough-ups and the Firebirds looked like they were wilting, but Latu-Meafou's long-range brilliance - she finished with 6-of-7 super-shots - had the visitors back within a point. But just as a boilover was brewing, Queensland turnovers mounted again, allowing Adelaide to finish with a 6-0 spree. The Adelaide Thunderbirds' bid for a Super Netball title three-peat is back on track, moving into the top four with a gritty 65-58 victory over the Queensland Firebirds. The two-time reigning champions were made to sweat at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday night, the result not sealed until the final two minutes. Star defender Latanya Wilson was the standout for the Thunderbirds with 10 deflections and nine gains, while fellow Jamaican Romelda Aiken-George nailed 50 goals at the other end to inflict Queensland's eighth successive defeat. "We weren't good last weekend (home loss to the bottom-placed Giants)," Wilson said. "I'm happy that my team went back to the drawing board. "I said to myself that my team needed (me) and if I can go out there and bring the fire, especially in that second quarter, our guys were going to fight." The Firebirds had threatened to pull away early with Tongan centre Hulita Veve bossing the midcourt and Abigail Latu-Meafou subbing in and duly sinking a pair of two-pointers. But thanks to the brilliance of Wilson, who amassed a whopping five gains for the term, Adelaide edged in front 17-15 at quarter-time. Thunderbirds captain Hanny Petty's sixth turnover then saw Queensland creep ahead 26-22 before Adelaide coach Tania Obst called a time-out, swung Georgie Horjus into goal attack, Tayla Williams to wing attack and demanded better energy and skills. During the huddle, Wilson was particularly vocal, pointedly telling her teammates "this is not good enough". Wilson led by example, continuing to rack up the deflections and intercepts as she spearheaded a 7-0 surge to give the T'birds back control. Outscored 12-10 in a scrappy second term, the Firebirds looked far more dangerous in the third. Macy Gardner, Mary Cholhok and Latu-Meafou combined well in attack as Queensland won the quarter 20-17 to slice the deficit to one goal. Veve's hot early start came crashing down with a swag of fourth-quarter cough-ups and the Firebirds looked like they were wilting, but Latu-Meafou's long-range brilliance - she finished with 6-of-7 super-shots - had the visitors back within a point. But just as a boilover was brewing, Queensland turnovers mounted again, allowing Adelaide to finish with a 6-0 spree. The Adelaide Thunderbirds' bid for a Super Netball title three-peat is back on track, moving into the top four with a gritty 65-58 victory over the Queensland Firebirds. The two-time reigning champions were made to sweat at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday night, the result not sealed until the final two minutes. Star defender Latanya Wilson was the standout for the Thunderbirds with 10 deflections and nine gains, while fellow Jamaican Romelda Aiken-George nailed 50 goals at the other end to inflict Queensland's eighth successive defeat. "We weren't good last weekend (home loss to the bottom-placed Giants)," Wilson said. "I'm happy that my team went back to the drawing board. "I said to myself that my team needed (me) and if I can go out there and bring the fire, especially in that second quarter, our guys were going to fight." The Firebirds had threatened to pull away early with Tongan centre Hulita Veve bossing the midcourt and Abigail Latu-Meafou subbing in and duly sinking a pair of two-pointers. But thanks to the brilliance of Wilson, who amassed a whopping five gains for the term, Adelaide edged in front 17-15 at quarter-time. Thunderbirds captain Hanny Petty's sixth turnover then saw Queensland creep ahead 26-22 before Adelaide coach Tania Obst called a time-out, swung Georgie Horjus into goal attack, Tayla Williams to wing attack and demanded better energy and skills. During the huddle, Wilson was particularly vocal, pointedly telling her teammates "this is not good enough". Wilson led by example, continuing to rack up the deflections and intercepts as she spearheaded a 7-0 surge to give the T'birds back control. Outscored 12-10 in a scrappy second term, the Firebirds looked far more dangerous in the third. Macy Gardner, Mary Cholhok and Latu-Meafou combined well in attack as Queensland won the quarter 20-17 to slice the deficit to one goal. Veve's hot early start came crashing down with a swag of fourth-quarter cough-ups and the Firebirds looked like they were wilting, but Latu-Meafou's long-range brilliance - she finished with 6-of-7 super-shots - had the visitors back within a point. But just as a boilover was brewing, Queensland turnovers mounted again, allowing Adelaide to finish with a 6-0 spree.
News.com.au
9 hours ago
- News.com.au
Fever locks in Super Netball finals spot with eighth straight win
West Coast Fever have locked in a Super Netball finals berth for the sixth consecutive year, after their 69-63 Round 10 victory over a feisty Melbourne Mavericks. Fever have now won eight straight and with an excellent goal percentage, this means that even if they drop their remaining four games there is no mathematical chance of them falling out of the top four. The reverse is true for the Mavericks, with finals now completely out of reach after another horrific year battling injuries. With rostered player Lauren Parkinson yet to play a game after an ACL injury sustained before the season even started last year, and Eleanor Cardwell still missing after knee surgery, it's been a cruel introduction for the league's newest team. With Parkinson still out of action, Mavericks rookie goal keeper Jessie Grenvold got the start to add height in their defensive circle. However, the youngster was no match for experienced Jamaican Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard who opened scoring for Fever less than ten seconds from the starting whistle. By the end of the match, Fowler-Nembhard piled on 57 from 58. Mavericks defenders were working overtime to get their hands to the ball and by mid-way through the second term they were leading deflections 8-0. Unfortunately not enough of those touches converted on the scoreboard as Fever pushed their advantage to lead by 11 at halftime. Training partner, Uneeq Palavi saw her first minutes of the game in the second term. The Tongan shooter sits fifth in the league for super shots so was given a simple task: lessen the score differential. The change was made again in the third and fourth terms with Palavi and shooting partner Sasha Glasgow creating a lively change up that Fever defenders had trouble containing. Collectively, they nailed nine from 13 attempts from long range but it was all for nought as Fever ground out the game to win by six, despite tinkering with their usual lineup. 'She is an ice queen,' said Mavericks captain Amy Parmenter of Palavi. 'She has such a big future and I love how she takes it on and embraces it.' With time running out to impress the national selectors, the battle between Parmenter and influential wing attack Alice Teague-Neeld, took on extra spice. Both players are on the fringe of selection, and have been in excellent form for their respective sides. Teague-Neeld had the best of the match-up, finishing with 33 feeds as she gave her shooting circle impeccable service in an MVP performance. Meanwhile, Parmenter was one of the most penalised on court for just one gain. 'That game of netball was more fun than some of the ones we have played over the last few weeks,' Parmenter said. 'I saw some fire and some big moments. 'But, I think our biggest headache at the moment is we go into help mode and we aren't brave and don't give the ball like we do at training every week.' JAMAICAN JUGGERNAUTS Despite not playing the first two rounds, Fever's Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard has rocketed up the leader board of the league's most potent shooters. She sits second in the league for total goals this season (sinking 430) and first to accuracy (97%). The Mavericks' Shimona Jok sits third for total goals (405) and second for accuracy (95%). Netball continues to raise awareness of the impact of domestic and family violence, with the Mavericks inaugural Orange Game. Craig Hutchison, CEO of SEN which owns the Mavericks, said it was 'a powerful reminder of the role sport can play in driving social change'. The initiative follows the Australian Netball Players Association drive for change, and Diamond Cara Koenen's revelation that like one in four women, she's experienced sexual assault.
