Kim Commane delivers but gallant Vixens come up short in finals bid
NEITHER Melbourne team will feature in Super Netball finals this season after Melbourne Vixens came up short of Sunshine Coast Lightning in their do-or-die final-round clash on Sunday.
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NEITHER Melbourne team will feature in Super Netball finals this season after Melbourne Vixens came up short of Sunshine Coast Lightning in their do-or-die final-round clash on Sunday.
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The Vixens were gallant in defeat at Hisense Arena but were ultimately left to rue a second-quarter slump as they fell to a third-straight loss, 56-51.
The home side had needed to win the match and at least three quarters of it to qualify for finals but won only two quarters and finished fifth on the back of the result as the Lightning held onto fourth position.
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“We wanted the win, we wanted the points to get through to finals so it’s an end of a season and that’s always disappointing when it finishes short earlier than you want it to,” Melbourne Vixens coach Simone McKinnis said.
“I actually thought defensively we really put them under pressure and did a great job and provided opportunities down to the attack end but we needed more opportunities for the attack end to score.”
Missing star goal shooter Mwai Kumwenda — who went down with a season-ending knee injury against West Coast Fever the previous week — the Vixens parachuted in Kim Commane from Victorian Netball League side Hawks Netball as a temporary replacement player with great effect.
Commane, who played with the Vixens in 2016, looked like she had been out there all season as she linked up well with the mid-court, cleverly made position in the goal circle and hit the scoreboard with 31 goals from 33 attempts.
Commane’s work early, along with that of wing attack Liz Watson who shone brightly all day, helped the Vixens make the perfect start, a 15-14 first quarter getting a vocal home crowd of 7143 out of their seats.
But the side lost its way in a 16-9 second quarter and the task was always going to be tough from there.
While the attacking end functioned well, Australian Diamonds captain and Lighting goal shooter Caitlin Bassett was a thorn in the side of the Vixens’ defence all game, her height and reach proving hard to combat.
The 193cm Bassett scored 41 goals from 48 attempts and got her hands on four rebounds, proving too good and too tall for opponents Kadie-Ann Dehaney and Emily Mannix.
The Vixens fought out the game to win the last quarter 15-11, but it was too little, too late with their season — which had been so well placed a month ago — already over.
The Lightning meet Queensland Firebirds in the competition’s minor semi-final next Sunday while minor premier Giants Netball hosts West Coast Fever in the major semi-final on Saturday.
MAJOR SEMI-FINAL
Giants Netball v West Coast Fever
Saturday, 3pm, Quaycentre Sydney
(WINNER straight through to Grand Final, LOSER v winner of minor semi-final)
MINOR SEMI-FINAL
Queensland Firebirds v Sunshine Coast Lightning
Sunday, 1pm, Brisbane Entertainment Centre
(WINNER to play loser of major semi-final, LOSER out of finals race)
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