The Boomers remain undefeated, conquering Townsville Fire in tight contest
After a demolition of the UC Capitals on Friday night, the Deakin Melbourne Boomers have maintained their winning streak, beating Townsville Fire 80-71.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Boomers though, the lead changing a number of times, with Townsville taking the lead and evening out the scores on several occasions.
It wasn’t until Cayla George hit an open three with only 23 seconds remaining, that the Boomers likely sealed the win.
The Boomers impressive shooting continued this game, with 49% from the field, including 11 from 18 from 3-point range at 66%.
Star point guard Lindsay Allen had another strong game, making 17 points in the first half and finishing on a game high 25 and 5 assists. Allen hit eight from nine from the line, and played a major role in securing the win for the Boomers.
Todays match also marked a monumental moment for Boomers co-captain Cayla George and league veteran Toni Farnworth as the teammates took to the court each playing their 250th game in the WNBL. A milestone only made sweeter with the teams win. Both players had memorable outtings in their 250th, George finishing on 10 points and seven rebounds, while Farnworth didn’t miss a bucket, making seven points, two rebounds and two assists.
Tess Madgen dominated the first half for the Fire, with 15 points, while Abby Bishop came to life in the second half. Bishop scored a team high of 20 points, six rebounds and three assists and Madgen close behind with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists.
Following the match George commented on the defensive pressure Townsville applied and how it made the win harder to grasp.
“It was a good win, we grinded it out, it wasn’t pretty but we’ll take it.”
“They [Townsville] had some defensive pressure on us, and they were watching the game [against the UC Capitals] obviously and tried to make us uncomfortable, and it was effective for them and they’re hungry for their first win.”
Star player Allen also commented on the win, and gave credit to the team and Head Coach Guy Molloy, in regards to his dependability and technique.
“We’re having a lot of fun out there as a team, we’re feeding off of each other, we’re making mistakes, we’re still encouraging each other and we’re trying to figure it out as we go along.”
“Having the team that we have and the coaches that we have, I think we give ourselves a chance every week and I think that just speaks to who Guy [Molloy] is as a person, as a coach and to keep that continuity… we have a smart basketball club.”
The Boomers would like to acknowledge that there was a score discrepancy between the Foxtel score and the FIBA live stats. The correct final score was 80-71. Lindsay Allen scored 25 points.
Deakin Melbourne Boomers – 80 (Allen 25, Magbegor 13, Garrick 11)
Townsville Fire – 71 (Bishop 20, Madgen 18, Bridget Carleton 12)
Next Up
In Round 4 we will host our Cup Eve Derby, facing off against Victorian rivals, the Southside Flyers, for the first time! Neither side has lost a game yet, and with so much pride on the line, this is set to be one of the games of the season! Get your tickets here.