Another stellar shooting exhibition from Jamaica’s Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard assisted West Coast Fever to another clinical performance in the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) League, as they toppled Melbourne Mavericks 76-57 in front of a record-breaking crowd of 11,841 at RAC Arena, in Perth, on Saturday.

While the 19-goal victory didn’t push the Fevers to the top of the standing as they had hoped, it did ensure they ended the regular season on a high heading into the finals. They provisionally sit second on the standings on 44 points, same as leaders Melbourne Vixens, who were 62-52 winners over Queensland Firebirds.

However, reigning champions Adelaide Thunderbirds (40 points), could overtake both to finish regular season as minor premiers, with a win over Sunshine Coast Lightning on Sunday.

Still, Fowler-Nembhard, who shot 69 from 69, including a solitary Supershot worth two goals, and her team have much to celebrate as they have regained some semblance of rhythm when it matters most. Alice Teague-Neeld (five goals from six attempts) and another Jamaican Shanice Beckford (two goals from three attempts) supported the top-rated shooter.

Meanwhile, another Jamaican Shimona Jok led the Mavericks with 30 goals from 34 attempts, with support from Eleanor Cardwell (21 goals from 24 attempts) and Gabrielle Sinclair (six goals from eight attempts), but it was not enough for them to make the finals in their inaugural SSN season.

Both teams started the game strongly, with the Jamaican shooters as Fowler-Nembhard and Jok exchanging goal-for-goal at opposite ends of the court. However, Fever gradually asserted some authority on the contest and opened up a five-goal lead to end the first quarter at 20-15.

The second quarter was a stark contrast to the first as both teams struggled to maintain possession due to some unforced errors, before the Mavericks regained their composure and scored a few unanswered goals to reduce the deficit.

That shift in momentum forced Fever’s Head coach Dan Ryan to move Sunday Aryang into goal defence, while Jess Anstiss took the wing defence bib, and Kelsey Browne entered the game in centre. Those changes had immediate impact, as Aryang picked up a rebound off a missed effort from Jok.

From there, Fever ensured they remained on top at 34-30 at the half-time interval, though they were outscored 14-15 in what was a strong second quarter for the Mavericks.

Like they did in the first, the two teams traded goals for most of the third quarter until Aryang picked up an incredible intercept for the Fever. That, along with a few missed efforts on the Mavericks’ part, allowed Fever to widen the gap to a 13-goal lead at 56-43 heading into the final quarter.

In chase of a 24-goal winning margin to secure top spot, the Fever threw it all on the line in the final quarter, as they applied consistent pressure to the Mavericks, who never really had a response, but did well enough to deny the host a wider margin of victory.

Jamaica’s Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, Latanya Wilson and Romelda Aiken-George continued winning ways with Adelaide Thunderbirds, as they produced a blistering second half display to secure a 67-41 win over Melbourne Mavericks at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, on Saturday.

The 26-goal victory –Thunderbirds’ widest margin so far this season –propelled them into second position on 32 points, same as West Coast Fever, but with a better goal difference of 93 goals greater than their conceded total. Melbourne Vixens (36 points) remain in pole position.

Aiken-George again led Thunderbirds from the front with 39 goals from 43 attempts, supported by Lauren Frew, who scored 13 goals from 15 attempts. Lucy Austin had nine goals from 11 attempts, and Georgie Horjus ended with six from six.

Another Jamaican Shimona Jok led Mavericks’ efforts with 25 goals from 28 attempts, as Eleanor Cardwell (10 goals from 13 attempts) and Gabrielle Sinclair (four goals from seven attempts) offered support.

Horjus was on top of her game across all four quarters, finishing with 116 Nissan Net Points, while Sterling-Humphrey (106 NNP), who was briefly sidelined after taking a knock to the face, and Wilson (77.5 NNP) delivered standout individual performances.

Adelaide Thunderbirds celebrate their win.

The Mavericks were more spirited at the start, as Jok scored three unanswered goals, before Sterling-Humphrey raked in two gains, two intercepts and a deflection in the first term alone, to bring Thunderbirds back into the contest. Aiken-George was prolific on the scoreboard for the Thunderbirds in a tightly contested and physical quarter, which they won 15-14.

The Thunderbirds maintained the momentum in the second quarter, courtesy of brisk goals from Frew and Aiken-George inside the opening minutes.

An aerial duel between Jok and Sterling-Humphrey, forced to the latter to the bench with a suspected concussion from a hit behind the ball. She was replaced by Wilson, who also made her presence felt, as Mavericks’ penalties and turnovers proved their undoing in the quarter that ended 18-11 in favour of Thunderbirds, with the score at 33-25 at half-time.

Like the first two quarters, the Mavericks struggled to make the most of their possession in the attacking third, and that allowed Thunderbirds to maintain a stranglehold on the contest, which seemed headed for blowout. Despite a strong performance from Jok and a Super Shot from Sinclair, it wasn’t enough to claw back the Thunderbirds’ 15-goal advantage heading into the final break at 49-34. 

Still, the Mavericks fought on with four quick goals in the opening three minutes, before a deflection from Sterling-Humphrey and a couple of impressive long-range goals from Horjus widened Thunderbirds’ gap to 17 points.

And even switching Jok to goalkeeper to match Aiken-George's height, proved futile for the Mavericks, who were blew away 18-7 in the final quarter.

Sterling-Humphrey maintained her stellar performance and ended with a rebound, six intercepts, and five deflections, while Wilson was also on song with an impressive seven deflections and an intercept, as both thwarted the opponent’s attack.