FEVER BLITZ TACTIX

West Coast Fever wrote a new page in their ANZ Championship history, with a record 62-44 win over the Mercury Energy Tactix in front of a thrilled Perth crowd tonight.

Fever’s biggest winning margin was previously 11 – over LG Mystics last year - but the West Coasters just fell short of equalling their highest score in three seasons (previously 67 against the NSW Swifts). Goal shoot Caitlin Bassett also reached a new high, scoring 45 goals - the most of the season so far – before being benched.

But records aside, the unified Fever impressed on both attack and defence in their first win of the season, paying their visitors little welcome.

Fever captain Jo Curran, who played a vital role in shutting down Tactix’ shooting circle, said the victory was also provided the ideal chance to get all 12 players on court.

“It was amazing tonight – it was great to get on the board and especially in a style like that.

It just showed the depth of this group - we’ve got something special,” she said.

It wasn’t always one-way traffic. Fever had to fight hard to open the scoring, with Bassett trying to find her footing next to dogged Tactix goal keep Charlotte Kight.  At the other end, Tactix goal shoot Ellen Halpenny needed eyes in the back of her head to keep tabs on rangy defender, Susan Fuhrmann, who had an 11cm height advantage.

Little separated the two young sides for much of the quarter, until wing defence Andrea Gilmore felt comfortable enough to fire the long ball into Bassett, turning on an unanswered flow of seven goals that put the Fever into a commanding 15-8 lead at the first break.

The difference in those early scores also reflected the shooting statistics – almost perfect from Fever’s prolific Bassett and Leah Shoard, while Halpenny and Anna Thompson only managed to slot two-thirds of their fewer attempts.

Heavy defensive pressure from Fever forced Tactix into relinquishing too much possession to keep them competitive – the gap growing to 10 goals five minutes into the next quarter.

Shoard, who spent most of last season on the bench at Southern Steel, went some way to answering Fever’s goal attack conundrum, ably supporting Bassett with her dynamic approach to the hoop.

With the score 31-19 in Fever’s favour, Tactix suffered more anguish when captain Maree Bowden hobbled off court at halftime with a dodgy ankle. But with the rest, Bowden returned to the game to ensure a level head was leading Tactix’ desperate attempt to claw back the growing deficit.

Fever coach Jane Searle took the opportunity to rest Fuhrmann and give Josie Janz a run at goal keep. Sporting a black eye from last week’s loss to Steel, Gilmore made life increasingly difficult for young Tactix wing attack Chelsea Pitman, while Shae Bolton at centre did her best to rattle her opposite, Bowden.

Just before three-quarter time, with Fever leading by 20, and Shoard retiring with a niggling knee, Searle further flummoxed the Tactix by adding more height to her shooting circle in the form of 1.92m Janelle Lawson, back home after two years with Queensland Firebirds.

Both coaches decided to make more changes to their line-ups, including taking Bassett off when she had shot 45 from 52, and Tactix bringing on the wise head of former Silver Fern Anna Galvan in defence. The visitors’ reshuffle gave them a renewed intensity, to win the quarter 14-12, with shooters Halpenny and Thompson finishing with their shooting percentages in the high-70s. But the damage had long been done.