Fever 62 Tactix 44
The West Coast Fever rebounded from an opening round transtasman netball competition loss to the Southern Steel to thrash the Canterbury Tactix 62-44 in Perth last night.
Goal shoot Caitlin Bassett ruled the shooting circle while fellow Australian international Susan Furhmann also used her height advantage at the defensive end as the Fever cruised to an emphatic victory at Challenge Stadium to complete round two.
A 7-0 run to end the first quarter set the tone for the remainder of a one-sided encounter that at one stage saw the Fever's advantage balloon out to 20 goals.
Bassett, the competition's most accurate shooter last weekend when missing just one of 35 attempts as her side were shaded 46-44 in Invercargill, was not as pinpoint against the Tactix, but with a steady supply of ball piped through the midcourt or via long range passes Silver Fern defender Charlotte Kight was condemned to a thankless task.
The 1.92-metre Bassett's 9cm height advantage over Kight was critical while Furhmann also ensured Ellen Halpenny and Anna Thompson operated under extreme pressure.
The Fever led 15-8 at quarter time and 31-19 at the main break with Bassett in supreme touch netting 23 from 25.
Her accuracy wavered from then on but she still ended with a highly satisfactory 45 from 52.
In contrast, rival goal shoot Halpenny was limited to 23 from 30; Thompson also struggled at the post with 21 from 27.
The Fever's midcourt dominance was underscored by the home side's shooters making 80 attempts to the Tactix 57.
A 50-30 buffer at three quarter time gave Fever coach Jane Searle the luxury of replacing Bassett and goal attack Leah Shoard for the final quarter with second-tier shooters Ashleigh Neal and Janelle Lawson.
Furhmann also gave up the goalkeep bid in the third quarter to give Halpenny and Thompson some belated respite.
The Tactix return home to host the unbeaten New South Wales Swifts in round three on Sunday while the Fever have another home match against defending champions the Melbourne Vixens on Monday.
West Coast Fever 62 (Caitlin Bassett 45/52, Leah Shoard 8/12, Janelle Lawson 7/13, Ashleigh Neal 2/3) Canterbury Tactix (Ellen Halpenny 23/30, Anna Thompson 21/27) Halftime: 31-19.
- NZPA
