A career-high display from Alicia Froling, who changed shooting hands to remain a pro-basketballer, has catapulted Townsville into the WNBL Grand Final.
The Fire barometer sunk 26 points and grabbed 9 rebounds as well as 3 assists, 2 blocks and a steal as the minor premiers bounced back from a game-two thrashing to beat Southside, 84-74, and set up a best-of-three showdown with Perth to decide the championship.
Froling, 30, battled years of wrist injuries and surgeries before changing shooting hands, from right to left, in a last-bid attempt to reignite her career. Her form has blossomed, in both WNBL and NBL1 where she is a reigning national champion, and she was player of the Fire-Flyers series impacting the game at both ends across three games.
The Fire will now contest their fourth Grand Final in six years and host Game 1 on Thursday night at the Townsville Entertainment Centre.
Alicia Froling of the Fire in action Emily Barker/Getty Images)
Game two heads to Perth on Sunday March 1 with a deciding third game, if required back in north Queensland on Wednesday March 4.
The Fire owned the series opener, the Flyers led from start to finish on their home floor but the decider was everything it was billed to be with momentum swings and four gripping quarters of basketball.
The only remaining member of Townsville’s 2022-23 title, skipper Courtney Woods (19 points, 4 assists, 4 steals, 3 rebounds), came up clutch in a tense final term making free throws, grabbing a big rebound off a misfired wide-open Maddy Rocci triple attempt all while keeping her team composed down the stretch.
After draining 27 points on Wednesday night, Miela Sowah was lively with 18 points, while Abbey Ellis (13 points) made what have become her trademark big shots against Southside.
After being stunned early in game 1 a week ago, the Flyers bounced back, not only to claim game 2, but produce their best basketball of the season.
Kristi Harrower’s team struggled to find consistency within games and handle the opposition’s momentum runs throughout the regular season. Not in the past two games.
It was led by co-captains Cayla George (25 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals) and Rocci (20 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal) who know this time of year as well as anyone with their combined seven titles. The pair kept the scoreboard ticking, came up big and took their team on their shoulders in the second and third fixtures.
Guard Hayley Andrews got her first WNBL start in game two and showed in both cut-throat games she too was up to the task.
And while the Fire now have a crack at another title, and redemption after last season’s disappointment in the form of a 2-0 sweep by Bendigo, perhaps the biggest winner so far is Perth.
The Lynx were first to advance to the decider and will have had 7 days between their last and next games after accounting for Bendigo, 2-0 last Tuesday. Players gathered for a BBQ on Sunday afternoon to watch the game and discover their Grand Final opponent.
And so, it will be Townsville Perth must topple in order to win their second-ever title and first since 1992.
