FIRE CRACKERS
TOWNSVILLE BLAST BACK INTO FORM
TOWNSVILLE have fired back to the winner’s circle and given a healthy home corwd plenty to cheer about in a nailbiting win over Sydney.
The Fire shared the points around the court, with five players hitting double figures as they held on to a 81-78 win. Teenage point guard Shyla Heal was again crucial for the Fire, finishing with 15 points and six assists in a mammoth 35 minute effort.
It was a strong turnaround for the Fire, after a tough loss to Canberra on Sunday night.
THERE is a reason why the plaudits on Shyla Heal are so resounding, and she showcased that in last night’s early exchanges.
Age is no barrier — the Townsville point guard is a star. At just 19, Heal has already begun to forge a reputation as a player to watch in the WNBL, with Australian Opals honours surely on the horizon.
In what is her first season as a starting point guard, Heal’s ability to create chances for her teammates was paramount in the Fire’s thrilling 81-78 win over the Sydney University Flames, and enabled the home side to play from in front.
Pace, skill and a willingness to get physical were among the features of her performance in the opening 20 minutes — finishing the match with 15 points and six assists.
At times in the first two quarters Heal was unplayable, her slight of hand evading the Flames seamlessly, allowing the likes of Nadeen Payne, Steph Reid and Lauren Nicholson plenty of time to execute on the scoreboard.
While there were some shots she would love to have back as the contest wore on — completing just five of 16 field goal attempts — any of her failings were quickly made up for by her teammates.
Payne’s presence at the three point line was crucial, finishing with 14 points, while hometown favourite Zitina Aokuso continued to show signs of progress in her comeback from injury last year.
In the final quarter, it was Aokuso’s rebound work that proved instrumental in keeping their rivals at bay, showing off toughness and class to get the Fire back down court on the back of seven defensive plays.
However despite at times leading by a safe margin, Sydney refused to go away.
Going into the first quarter break up 26-19, the Flames were able to counter in the middle terms to have the two sides neck and neck heading into the final stanza.
In phases Sydney’s ability to regather on the rebound rewarded them with frequent second and third chances under the board, while also depriving the Fire of the same opportunities.
And with just 16 seconds on the clock and two points in it, there was plenty of life in the clash’s dying stages.
But the youthful exuberance and fitness eventually shone through.
Townsville’s ability to counter-attack at speed proved telling, never allowing the Flames to feel like they were edging back into the contest.
Whenever a Sydney shot was sunk, the next passage of play happened in a flurry and refused to provide any respite for the visitors to build momentum and scoreboard pressure.
In Townsville’s last outing against Canberra, discipline invariably cost them in a tight loss, however those misgivings were quickly rectified just two days later.
However with no time to revel in their second win from three efforts, attention will quickly have to turn to the Southside Flyers tomorrow night.