MELBOURNE, CMC—Ace Jamaica goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard scored 50 goals without missing, including her 8,000th Super Netball League goal, to steer the table-leading West Coast Fever to a 69-62 win against newcomers Melbourne Mavericks on Saturday in Australia.
The 34-year-old goaler was part of the slick Fever offense, which delivered three-quarters of relentless play and extinguished any hope of a maiden victory for the Mavericks in their second-season match on home soil.
Her Sunshine Girls teammate, Romelda Aiken-George, was near perfect, and she enabled the Adelaide Thunderbirds to survive a huge scare and notch a thrilling 60-57 overtime win against the Sunshine Coast Lightning at UniSC Arena.
The Fever trailed 17-14 after the first quarter at John Cain Arena, and they were challenged late, but in between, they were too strong for first-timers Mavericks, who had looked likely to pull off the season’s biggest upset.
Fowler-Nembhard continued to shine brightly, showcasing her exceptional form early in the season with another stand-out performance. Supported by Sunshine Girls teammates Shanice Beckford and Kelsey Browne, the Fever secured their third consecutive win of the season.
After missing two first-quarter shots, the Fever did not miss another attempt for the contest, burying their last 54 unblemished to lead 40-32 at half-time and 54-43 after three periods.
“We knew the Mavericks were going to come hard at us,” Fowler-Nembhard said. “It was good for us to hold our composure and limit the amount of balls we were turning over.”
The Fever showed intent from the opening whistle, but the Mavericks displayed what seemed like a new-found confidence with a diversity of attacking options. They held a one-point lead a little before the critical Power Five moment.
A run of four consecutive Fever goals to start the second term put the Mavericks on the back foot, trailing by one.
In addition, the Fever’s defensive strategy proved highly effective in unsettling the Mavericks’ attacking rhythm. The Melbourne side struggled to contain their opponents’ rapid transitions through the middle and needed to catch up.
The Mavericks’ vigor was renewed in the second half, but they still struggled to contain Fowler-Nembhard, and the Fever’s relentless scoring pressure and stifling defense put them in a hole.
As the Power Five moment approached, the Fever held an 11-point advantage and maintained their dominance heading into the final quarter.
Aiken-George finished with 43 goals from 48 attempts, and a pile-on looked on the cards when title-holders Thunderbirds raced to a 17-6 lead at the end of the first quarter before the visitors were progressively reeled in and almost overhauled by the valiant Lightning.
The game began with a flurry of errors, center pass missteps, poor passes, and some defenders hungry for the ball. Both teams traded turnovers, but it was the Lightning who fell behind.
The Lightning’s second-quarter output was better, and both of their defenders hunted the ball to prevent it from getting into Aiken-George.
Still, Thunderbirds continued to dominate and held a 31-20 lead at half-time, but Lightning came roaring back in an erratic phase of play featuring multiple wayward passes.
Aiken-George accidentally called for an injury timeout and had to go off, and a flurry of substitutions from both sides meant the court looked far different than it did at the start. This enabled the Lightning to work their way back into contention, outscoring their opponents 16-8 in the period to trail 39-36 after three quarters.
The Thunderbirds showed poise and maturity in their controlled play, though they were facing a Lightning team carrying momentum with their home crowd behind them.
Aiken-George’s accuracy began to decrease as she missed some easy shots under the ring. She then committed an offensive contact that allowed the Lightning a chance to tie the contest. Still, they turned the ball over—a recurring theme for them in the match.
In a controversial finish, Liz Watson appeared to grab the ball out of Lauren Frew’s hands in mid-court without a call being made. With Reilley Batcheldor left alone under their ring, her final goal sent the match into overtime.
Aiken-George regained her rhythm in the overtime period, and the Thunderbirds showed no fear and were happy to settle for single goals to clinch the win.
and then 