Jamaican superstar Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard delivered a perfect shooting performance to headline a dominant West Coast Fever display, defeating the Queensland Firebirds 82-65 in front of 11,427 fans at RAC Arena on Sunday.
Fowler-Nembhard was flawless under the post, scoring 68 goals from 68 attempts, and etched her name in the history books as she became the first player in Suncorp Super Netball history to surpass 6,500 career goals. Her landmark 32nd goal of the match brought up the milestone, sparking celebrations from the Fever faithful.
The Firebirds matched the hosts in the early exchanges, applying intense defensive pressure across the transverse line and finding brief attacking rhythm through Abigail Latu-Meafou, who nailed the first super shot of the game. But Fever responded through Alice Teague-Neeld, who piled on 11 assists in the first quarter to give the hosts a 21-16 advantage at the break.
The visitors intensified their efforts in the second quarter, with young defender Isabelle Shearer putting up a valiant contest against the prolific Fowler-Nembhard. Despite the added pressure, Fever maintained a 100% gain-to-goal conversion rate, calmly extending their lead to 42-31 at halftime.
Shanice Beckford, introduced off the bench, made her presence felt in the attacking circle, complementing Fowler-Nembhard with clever movement and confident shooting. The Jamaican international scored three goals from four attempts and added spark to the Fever’s frontline during crucial stretches of the second half.
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Kadie-Ann Dehaney also played a pivotal role in the victory, growing in stature throughout the match. The Jamaican goal keeper turned in a dominant second-half performance, recording multiple intercepts and deflections to help stifle the Firebirds’ late offensive push. Her key deflection on the buzzer at the end of the third quarter was a momentum-sealing moment that allowed the Fever to extend their lead to 13 heading into the final period.
The Firebirds made a strong push early in the third quarter, outscoring the Fever 17-13 in the period thanks to sharp shooting from Emily Moore and the energetic midfield play of Hulita Veve. But despite a brief lapse, the Fever steadied themselves through Wilkinson and Beckford, before going on a crushing 8-2 run to start the fourth.
With their Jamaican trio at the heart of it all — Fowler-Nembhard shooting a perfect 68 from 68, Beckford contributing with both goals and creativity, and Dehaney disrupting everything in defence — the Fever kept the scoreboard ticking and held off a spirited Firebirds side to complete an emphatic 82-65 victory.