WEST Coast Fever remain atop the Super Netball table and undefeated at home in 2018 after a thrilling 63-61 over the Giants in front of a crowd of 8306 at Perth Arena.
Fever appeared in control for the first half but that all changed after the break when the Giants brought on Kristina Brice to replace Jo Harten as goal shooter.
She looked likely to be the hero with a run of four of five goals late in the piece. But Fever captain Courtney Bruce forced a turnover against her, with the home team scoring the next three goals for the two-goal win. Fever improves to 5-1 to remain on top of the table while the Giants slip to 4-2 with their second heartbreaking loss.
Jamaican superstar Jhaniele Fowler was dominant for Fever with 53 of 56 while Nat Medhurst had 10 of 11. The six turnovers forced and four intercepts up the other end from Stacey Francis were brilliant.
Brice ended up with 20 of 23 for the Giants in the second after Harten had 15 of 16. Susan Pettitt finished with 26 of 29.
It was an impressive opening by Fever who led by as much six before the Giants ended the quarter with the last three goals.
Fever went on a run of four consecutive goals midway through the second term but the Giants responded well.
They hit seven of the next eight goals and were just three behind by half-time after the teams went 15-all for the period.
The Giants worked on top in the third quarter and it was the addition of Brice alongside Pettitt in attack that sparked it.
They went on a five-goal run to lead by two at one stage with scores level at three-quarter time with the Giants taking the bonus point for the term. The scene was set for a frantic finish and it certainly delivered. A couple of times, the Giants pulled away by two goals.
But ultimately it was Bruce’s forced turnover and the resulting three goals that secured Fever’s two-goal win. Fever coach Stacey Marinkovic was proud of the way her team bounced back from their loss to the Queensland Firebirds.
“For us to be able to do this and what we did against Sunshine Coast shows that we can cope under pressure,” she said.
“It was a sensational crowd, and the way the girls responded to the way the Giants changed their defence. We continued to adapt and to punch and fight.” Giants coach Julie Fitzgerald knows it’s just some small things holding her team back in tight games.
“It could have fallen our way but it didn’t and they are the sort of things that we need to make sure do fall our way,” she said.
“There was a lot of pressure out there and it’s hard to play over here. It’s such an awesome stadium and they have a great crowd but we just needed a couple of things to turn our way.”
