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Sunshine Coast Lightning loom as this season's big Super Netball improver after starting their campaign with a shock 66-50 trouncing of the Giants at USC Stadium.
Key points:
- The Lightning outscored the Giants in each quarter
- Cara Koenen led the scoring for the Lightning with 51 goals
- The Thunderbirds defeated the Firebirds 59-44
In Sunday's other game, a sizzling second half has propelled the Adelaide Thunderbirds to a convincing 59-44 win over the Queensland Firebirds in Brisbane.
From the opening pass on the Sunshine Coast, the Lightning — last year's reigning wooden spooners — blew the Giants off the court, ensuring a dream debut for rookie coach Belinda Reynolds.
Tall Jamaican defender Kadie-Ann Dehany was sensational on the last line for the Lightning, partnering expertly with legendary South African defender Karla Pretorius, who was terrific in her first appearance in the competition since 2021.
The pair combined for 16 deflections and six intercepts, constantly putting the Giants' shooters off their game.
Dehaney and Pretorius's defensive brilliance, coupled with some slick midfield movement, allowed Diamond Cara Koenen (51 goals) to prosper in the shooting circle.
After forging an early four-goal head start, the home side stormed ahead 11-5 and seldom relented.
The Giants — who reached the preliminary final stage last season — were without injured skipper Jo Harten, who was incredibly missing her first ever game for the club.
In Harten's absence, Jamie-Lee Price stepped into the role of acting captain and — repeatedly and inspirationally — played a lone hand in trying to drag the Giants back into the game.
The visitors, marshalled by Price, briefly stole the lead on an 8-1 run late in the first term as Matisse Letherbarrow temporarily broke free of Dehaney, before the Lightning regained control.
Up 16-13 at quarter-time, the Lightning pulled ahead 32-22 at half-time after dominating the second period 16-9.
Koenen drained 16 without a miss in the third term to help extend the Lightning's buffer to 48-34 at three-quarter time, a lead which was never in danger of being overhauled.
The Giants showed some resolve in the fourth stanza but were ultimately undone by lopsided penalty (64-33), turnover (29-15) and rebounding (2-9) counts.
Thunderbirds score away win
Tipped as one of the competition's likely improvers after finishing second-last in 2022, the Thunderbirds endured patches of indifference throughout the first half before dominating the Firebirds 32-16 after half-time.
Shamera Sterling (11 deflections, five intercepts, four rebounds) showed why she is regarded as the world's best defender, producing a superb four-quarter performance to have the better of star Firebirds shooter Donnell Wallam.
The Thunderbirds leapt ahead 10-7 before Firebirds coach Bec Bulley called a time-out that changed the complexion of the first half.
The home side, rocked on the season's eve with the shock exit of assistant coach Sarah Francis-Bayman amid speculation of a clash with Bulley, looked anything but a divided group as they rattled off the next seven goals in four minutes and led 17-15 at quarter-time.
Their advantage blew out to 23-15 as the Thunderbirds endured another scoreless spell, this one lasting almost five minutes.
Goal attack Tippah Dwan was subbed in and had an impact, helping the Thunderbirds trim the deficit to one goal at half-time.
The Firebirds snared 11 of the first 12 rebounds and would have fashioned a bigger lead had it not been for Sterling's brilliance.
The Jamaican goalkeeper racked up six deflections in a dominated third quarter, during which the Thunderbirds outscored the hosts 13-9.
The Thunderbirds' prized English recruit Eleanor Cardwell's radar was off throughout that term and she spent the three-quarter-time break practising her shooting.
It paid off as she buried 14 without a miss in the final period, while at the other end Wallam missed a couple of easy shots and generally could not cope with Sterling as the Thunderbirds sent a warning to their rivals with a commanding 19-7 fourth-quarter demolition.
AAP