Fire kick off WNBL20 with a 25 point win

JCU Townsville Fire Dominate in Season Opener

The JCU Townsville Fire have made an extravagant opening statement to the 2020 WNBL season with an impressive win over Perth Lynx.

Townsville entered the match having won 2 out of the last 3 games against Perth. With a newly reconstructed Townsville team, the match up was a sure fire blockbuster.Any pre season nerves were immediately quashed after tip off in Mackay stadium with strong defence and rebounds playing crucial roles in the first half of the game.

Dominating offence stood out with Lauren Nicholson leading the charge, who sunk 16 points with 4 rebounds and 2 assists, with Shyla Heal in close support of 15 points and 4 rebounds.

Heal stated in a post-match interview that a short but effective preseason was had proven successful to Coach Shannon Seebohm.

While aggression and swings in momentum on both sides dominated the first half; opening a 10 point lead; it was the cohesion of the Fire’s line-up that was the clear key to victory.

“Shannon has put a great structure in our team, he has been pushing us heaps and we have really gelled over the last six weeks. I think that’s what it came down to tonight,” Heal stated in a post-match interview

Homegrown Nadeen Payne also was the standout in defence with a staggering 12 rebounds on top of the 10 points scored against her old teammates.

The Fire only distanced the margin in the second half with aggressive off the bench action from Stephanie Reid, solidified by the towering efforts of Megan Mckay and returning legend Zitina Aokuso.

There were no signs of fatigue in the final quarter as the JCU  Townsville Fire opened the floodgates for a final score of 48-73, with each player showing (evidently game winning) skills across the hardwood.

JCU Townsville Fire will now head into recovery in preparation for their next match against the UC Capitals this coming Sunday at 7:00 pm AEST.

Written by:Jack De Lacey