Swifts topple Vixens in Mother`s Day blockbuster

Monday, May 14, 2012

Match Statistics

The NSW Swifts have become the first team to defeat the Melbourne Vixens in the 2012 ANZ Championship, winning 55-52 at Allphones Arena on Mother’s Day in round seven.

Faced with an eight-goal deficit at the first break, the Swifts mounted a heroic comeback to secure their fourth consecutive win.

“The wins to date have been really good for us but everybody knew the Vixens were the top of the table, they were undefeated and had been setting the benchmark so to get out and have a great game against them was fantastic,” NSW Swifts Coach Lisa Beehag said.

“You put a NSW team against a Victorian team and it always brings out something special in the players.”

The Vixens looked ominous in the opening quarter, disrupting the Swifts attacking flow through the middle of the court and running away to an early lead. The Swifts trailed 13-21 at the first break.

With an eight-goal margin to close heading into the second quarter, Beehag urged her players to take back control of the game.

The Swifts swapped midcourters Kimberlee Green and Vanessa Ware , and injected Sonia Mkoloma into the contest at GK for the second quarter, igniting a Swifts comeback. Faced with a rampaging Swifts side the Vixens changed up their defensive end midway through the quarter but the Swifts were undaunted, pulling to within one goal at halftime, 29-30.

Mkoloma continued to make an impact in the third quarter, forcing turnovers and pulling in rebounds, and the Swifts attacking line put the turnover ball to good use with the introduction of speedy GA Amorette Wild and slick play in the goal third. Wild leveled the scores with the opening goal of the quarter and the Swifts charged on to lead 43-39 at the final break.

The Vixens scored the opening four goals of the final quarter to draw level but the Swifts held strong. Their outstanding defence and brilliant attacking movement ensured the Vixens would get no closer; the Swifts edged away and scored on the final whistle to seal the three-goal victory.

Now boasting four wins from four home games in 2012, the Swifts will be aiming to continue their run on Sunday 20 May when they host the West Coast Fever at 2.20pm at Newcastle Entertainment Centre, based in the NSW Hunter Valley.

Starting Lineups:
        NSW Swifts            Melbourne Vixens
GS Susan Pratley       Karyn Howarth
GA Carla Dziwoki       Tegan Caldwell
WA Kimberlee Green  Maddison Browne
C Vanessa Ware        Chelsea Tregear
WD Samantha May    Julie Corletto
GD Mo’onia Gerrard    Bianca Chatfield
GK April Letton          Geva Mentor

Changes:
NSW Swifts:
2Q: Ware (WA), Green (C), Sonia Mkoloma (GK)
3Q: Amorette Wild (GA)

Melbourne Vixens:
2Q timeout: Sarah Wall (WD), Corletto (GD)
3Q: Wall (C), Chatfield (WD)
4Q: Kate Beveridge (GS) Tregear (C), Wall (WD)