The Townsville Fire have spoiled the 400-game milestone of Geelong coach Chris Lucas, dismantling the Venom 86-61 to shore up top spot on the WNBL ladder.
Against the coach who delivered them two WNBL championships (2014-15, 2015-16), Townsville produced a dominant performance to finish their season-starting road tour, having won four out of five matches.
Although the Fire led by as much as 22 points in the second quarter, the Venom did scare the visitors, reducing the deficit to just three points before Miela Sowah (20 points) stepped up to see out the win at the Geelong Arena on Friday.
Alicia Froling (11 points, 13 rebounds) and Lucy Olsen (13 points) also mixed style with substance to help the Fire strengthen their position at the top of the WNBL ladder.
“It’s been a long road trip. I think we might be getting sick of each other a little bit,” Townsville forward Lauren Cox said after the match.
“We’re going to have those times during the season where fatigue does set in, whether we’re travelling or not, and that’s when we have to be professional.
“We (didn’t) have an off night offensively … but we put a huge emphasis on defence.”
The Venom have slumped to 1-4, having lost three consecutive matches.
While Geelong missed Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard due to illness and Alissa Pili (ankle) and Shyla Heal (knee) to injury, their go-to girl, Mackenzie Holmes, helped inspire the side’s third-quarter rally, scoring 24 points and registering eight rebounds.
Lucas said his team was going through a tough period with injuries, and he had expected to start Clinch Hoycard before she was ruled out.
Ultimately, inaccuracy hurt Geelong as they converted just four from 23 three-point attempts, also missing 22 two-point opportunities.
“That (inaccuracy) has actually been a pattern for the last three games,” Lucas said.
“Our focus is our execution, and the three balls that we’re taking we’re not making.
“We were really soft in a few areas, we let them dictate us.
“They are the benchmark without a doubt, and for us, we’re down on personnel, but I feel like we could have been a lot closer.”
The teams exchanged early baskets before Olsen and Froling stepped up to create a 10-point quarter-time buffer.
The Venom struggled to find gaps through Townsville’s solid defence and the Fire capitalised, with Cox and Abbey Ellis dominating to open up a 45-27 halftime lead.
In just six and a half minutes of the third quarter, Holmes and Alex Sharp nailed point after point to close the deficit to three.
Sowah rallied the visitors, scoring a flurry of threes, allowing Townsville to regroup and claim a deserved victory.
