Coach wants Fire to match Caps physicality
Hat-trick chasing UC Capitals want to tighten their defence heading into a vital Chemist Warehouse WNBL clash with a JCU Townsville Fire team, whose coach rates the Caps as probably the toughest and most physical team in the competition.
A shock 84-75 loss to the Perth Lynx on Friday means fourth placed Townsville (6-4) still have plenty of work to do to clinch a finals spot.
Townsville have a tough run home, playing their remaining games against three of the other top five clubs.
The first of those fixtures will be at Townsville Stadium on Sunday against the Caps, 8-2, who if they keep winning will seal a top two spot and possibly even finish first.
The two-time defending champions bounced back from their second loss of the season with an 85-65 win over Adelaide on Friday.
“It’s a really important game for them (Townsville) too so we’re going to have to make sure our defence is on point and then hopefully that our offence keeps flowing like it has been,” Caps’ forward Keely Froling said.
“We’re always looking to get better every game, defensively is where we want to really make our statement and I think last night (against Adelaide) we showed that, but we want to be better than that.”
Townsville coach Shannon Seebohm said his side needed to tidy up in some areas after giving Perth a lot of open shots and easy points in the paint.
The Caps won 78-67 in their opening round clash with Townsville but will field a far deeper line-up on Sunday as Kelsey Griffin, Tahlia Tupaea and Brittany Smart all missed that match.
“I think there are probably the toughest most physical team in the league, they are great on the boards, they score a lot of points in the paint,” Seebohm said.
“You could see yesterday watching them play they are really starting to click as a group and even the new girls they have brought in this season have really started to gel well with the rest of them, so they are a force to be reckoned with.
“We’re going have to make sure we come ready to match their level of effort and physicality and offensively be a little bit more disciplined and smarter than we were last night and last time we played them.”
Townsville had the rare luxury in a compressed season of a few days break before the Perth match, but Seebohm felt that worked against his side as it stalled their momentum.
He is hoping to have forward Megan McKay back for Sunday’s game after she missed the Perth match with a minor ankle issue.
Adrian Warren is a freelance contributor to WNBL.basketball
Broadcast Details
JCU Townsville Fire vs UC Capitals
Sunday 6 December 2020
5.00pm AEST/ 6.00pm AEDT
Live on Kayo