LOOKING TO FIRE FIRST-UP AT THE FURNACE
TEMPERATURES will rise at The Furnace tonight when the Townsville Heat and Flames look to make winning starts to their NBL1 North seasons.
Townsville’s Starfm Stadium will host the seasonopening double-header. The Flames will get things under way when they host the Ipswich Force at 6.30pm.
With a strong roster that features Townsville Fire MVP
Steph Reid and her WNBL teammates Courtney Woods, Burdekin product Aliza Fabbro and former WNBL grand final MVP Mia Murray, the Flames hope to make some noise this season.
A strong crop of local juniors rounds out the side and with Fire coach Shannon Seebohm at the helm, the Flames will be confident they can go a step further after falling to eventual champion Logan in last season’s semis.
In the men’s team, the Heat will look to build around key recruits Taine Wattie and Deandre Daniels, as well as a host of local talent, when it plays Ipswich at 8.30pm.
New Zealand shooting guard Wattie impressed in the NBL1 West for Geraldton last season, while American power forward Daniels was picked in the NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors in 2014 and has a host of experience at the highest level.
“Taine had a really solid season in the NBL1 West before Covid cut his season and he sees the NBL1 North as a real step up,” Heat coach and Townsville Basketball GM Mark Wrobel said.
“We’ll really turn to him for some scoring punch and he will be trying to catch the attention of NBL teams for next season.”
Tickets are available at https://www.trybooking. COM/BXJOZ