FORGET A DEAD RUBBER, CAPITALS SAY TONIGHT IS GOING TO BE A ... FIRE FIGHT
THE Townsville Fire may be out of the race for playoffs, but the Canberra Capitals say they will not show any mercy as the Fire prepare for their second-last home game of the season tonight.
The Capitals travel to Townsville with an opportunity to seal a home final for the upcoming playoffs, and are taking no chances against a Fire team playing for home pride and a dose of payback after suffering two heavy losses against the Capitals.
“We’ve beaten them quite convincingly the last few times so they’ll be wanting a little bit of revenge, but we’re going to come out hard as well,” Capi- tals forward and Townsville junior
Keely Froling said.
“We really want top spot so we can get that home final.”
TOWNSVILLE junior Keely Froling insists the Canberra Capitals aren’t about to drop their intensity with a home final up for grabs when they take on the Townsville Fire tonight.
The Capitals have qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2010 and they can lock up first place on the ladder with three games left to play, starting with their trip to Townsville Stadium.
The Fire are already out of finals contention but Froling expected her hometown team would still have a point to prove after two emphatic losses to the Capitals this season.
“We really want top spot so we can get that home final but nobody wants to lose, so we know that the Fire are going to be coming out to get us,” Froling said. “We’ve beaten them quite convincingly the last few times so they’ll be wanting a little bit of revenge, but we’re going to come out hard as well. The league’s so close this year that the No.1 team can lose to number seven or eight, so you can’t take them lightly.”
The Capitals are reaping the rewards for their strong off-season recruitment, bringing in Opals stars Marianna Tolo, Leilani Mitchell and Kelsey Griffin along with WNBL veteran Kelly Wilson.
Their offence has been unrivalled during a six-game winning streak with an average margin of 33 points, which has seen them rocket to the top of the ladder.
Froling is averaging five points and three rebounds as a key contributor off the bench, and she felt Canberra’s deep roster was working together seamlessly with the playoffs in sight.
“I think Paul (Gorris, coach) recruited really well at the start of the season and now we’re hitting that point where we’ve been together for a little while so we know how it works,” Froling said. “Obviously it’s nice when you’re winning a lot and when you have such great players on the floor it makes it a lot easier when you get out there.
“No one can play 40 minutes so it’s good to be able to come on and give Kelsey and Kia (Nurse) a sub and still have an impact.
“I think our last few games we’ve really started to hit our strides so it’s a good feeling.”
Froling was a development player with the Fire before heading to college in 2014 but this season will be her first taste of playoff action as a regular member of a WNBL squad.
“We know we still have a big challenge ahead of us so we’re not getting too excited, but it’s nice to know we’re in finals,” she said.
NOBODY WANTS TO LOSE SO WE KNOW THAT THE FIRE ARE COMING OUT TO GET US
KEELY FROLING