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Fowler scores 37 to lead West Coast Fever to victory over GIANTS in Suncorp Team Girls Cup

Fowler, the four-time Suncorp Super League Player of the Year, missed only two attempts as she and Alice Teague-Neeld, who scored six goals and two Suncorp Super Shots, did enough to secure the victory.

West Coast Fever trailed 8-10 after the first quarter but rallied to lead 20-19 at the half-time interval. They led 33-31 at the end of the third before pulling away 14-10 to seal the victory.

Jo Harten with 14 goals and Sophie Dwyer with 17 were the primary scorers for GIANTS team that committed 25 turnovers in the 40-minute encounter.

Fever play their other Pool B opponents, Collingwood and Adelaide, on Saturday before cross-over finals are held for all teams on Sunday.

Fowler yet to miss as West Coast Fever hold off GIANTS 74-73 to go 2-0 in Suncorp Super Netball League

The Fever’s shooters missed just once with Sasha Glasgow scoring five goals from her six attempts and hit crucial super shots in the thrilling encounter that ended with the defending champions going 2-0 in their first two games of the season. They won both games by one goal.

Reigning MVP Fowler scored 59 goals from as many attempts and has now scored 167 straight goals without a miss in the league. Her last miss came during the first quarter of last season’s final.

The GIANTS welcomed back Maddie Hay and Jo Harten into their line-up and they proved to be exactly what their team needed. Still, the Fever led 21-20 at the end of the first quarter.

On the back of Fowler’s accurate shooting, the Fever opened up a lead, which extended to as wide as 10 goals but were eventually reeled in by the GIANTS, who were eventually outscored 19-17 in the second quarter to lead by three at the half.

Harten scored 22 goals from 23 attempts and Sophie Dwyer 21 from 24 as GIANTS looked to rally but were forced to depend heavily on super shots to keep them close to the champions who outscored them 23-15 in the third quarter.

However, the GIANTS did rally with Harten and Dwyer shooting the lights out to outscore The Fever 21-11 in the final quarter but the lead proved too much to overcome.

Over at the Nissan Arena, Kadie-Ann Dehaney’s Sunshine Coast Lightning defeated Queensland Firebirds 65-55. Meanwhile, a power outage at the SA Netball Stadium resulted in a 25-25 tie between the Adelaide Thunderbirds and the New South Wales Swifts.

Romelda Aiken-George had scored 15 goals from 19 attempts when the game was called off.

Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard leads West Coast Fever to come-from-behind victory over Giants

Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard delivered another outstanding performance, scoring 55 of 59 attempts, as the West Coast Fever rebounded from a mid-season slump with a come-from-behind 68-65 win over the Giants in Perth on Sunday.

The victory keeps the Fever within striking distance of the top two in the Super Netball standings, crucial for securing a double chance in the finals. Conversely, the loss dashes the Giants' finals hopes, leaving them anchored at the bottom of the ladder.

The Giants, despite their lowly position, led for more than half the match and were particularly effective during the supershot period. Giants' coach Julie Fitzgerald lamented a lack of confidence that cost them dearly, especially after scoring just nine goals in a disastrous third term.

"I felt for most of the game we played really, really well, but we had a patch where we let it go. We won two quarters, drew one, and still came away without the points," Fitzgerald said. "We come out and really attack the game, but when a couple of things go wrong, we lose a little bit of confidence."

The Fever struggled to contain the dynamic duo of Giants’ captain Jo Harten and Sophie Dwyer. Harten scored 35 of 39 attempts, including seven supershots, while Dwyer added 19 from 23 attempts, with four supershots. In contrast, the Fever managed just one supershot at a dismal 12 percent, forcing them to rely on their standard one-point game to stay in contention.

Down by eight points at halftime, Fever coach Dan Ryan made strategic changes that ignited the home crowd, helping the team to complete an 11-point turnaround and take the lead. The final quarter saw both teams scrambling for control of the ball, with Fever’s Kadie-Ann Dehaney narrowly avoiding a send-off after a late challenge on Sam Winders.

Despite the Giants’ supershot prowess, they could not close the gap, and the Fever hung on for a nail-biting win. Fowler-Nembhard was instrumental, top-scoring with 55 goals from 59 attempts. Fever’s Fran Williams also shone, delivering a stellar performance in front of her family, who had traveled from England to watch her play.

Alice Teague-Neeld was named MVP, contributing 36 goal assists and two pickups. Jamie-Lee Price dominated at center for the Giants, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win.

The Fever’s victory reasserts their position as strong contenders for the Super Netball finals, while the Giants will need to regroup and plan for the next season.