Melbourne Vixens back on top and eyeing Super Netball home semi

The Melbourne Vixens have regained top spot with an emphatic 71-50 victory over the Adelaide Thunderbirds.

Mwai Kumwenda of the Vixens takes the ball in front of Ama Agbeze of the Thunderbirds.

The Melbourne Vixens regained top spot in Super Netball with an emphatic 71-50 victory over the Adelaide Thunderbirds at Hisense Arena yesterday.

The 21-goal victory makes amends for the Vixens’ loss to the Giants last week and sends them back into first place, equal with Sunshine Coast Lightning on 21 points, but with a handy advantage on goal differential.

With the chance to host a home semi-final in a fortnight on the line, the Vixens built their game solidly across the match and won each quarter by more than the last, with the final stanza a 21-12 demolition.

Vixens shooter Mwai Kumwenda had a tough challenge against Thunderbirds defender Ama Agbeze but still top scored with 48 goals from 53 attempts at 91 per cent accuracy.

Goal partner Tegan Philip scored 23 from 31 and made plenty of impact through the midcourt and at goal.

For Adelaide, captain Erin Bell made plenty of long shots in her 26 goals (90 per cent accuracy) and she combined with Sasha Glasgow (16 goals) and Karyn Bailey (six goals), while defender Renae Ingles was part of a tough duel with Liz Watson.

Adelaide brought a new level of intensity and fervour to the start of the clash and were able to run with the Vixens until halftime when a 34-29 deficit kept them within reach.

The Vixens were a different outfit after the break and outscored their opponents by 16 goals in the second half where a whole-court performance included spectacular turnovers, intercepts and great feeds into goal. Vixens keeper Emily Mannix was named MVP.

Only second-bottom West Coast Fever (seventh) stand in the Vixens’ way of hosting the major semi-final for a place in the grand final.

Sharpshooter Caitlin Thwaites has helped to secure Collingwood a berth in the semi-finals, with the Magpies recording a thrilling 49-42 victory over the Fever at Perth Arena.

In an stellar performance, Thwaites connected on her first 24 attempts and scored the Magpies’ first 32 goals on Saturday night to be the difference between the two teams. Thwaites, the leading scorer in the competition, overpowered Fever goalkeeper Courtney Bruce to connect 45 from 48 shots overall.

The win lifts the Magpies three points clear of the fifth-placed Queensland Firebirds and ensures they finish fourth, regardless of what happens next week during the 14th and final round.

The Magpies were sharper throughout and threatened to pull away several times in the first half, when they led by nine goals midway through the second stanza. However, fuelled by a near capacity crowd and playing against several former teammates, the Fever were unwavering and levelled the scores in the third term to set up a thrilling finish.

The Magpies led by just two goals with four minutes remaining before ex-Fever player Shae Brown broke local hearts with a clutch conversion as the visitors pulled away to seal victory.

AAP