NSW Swifts join Melbourne Vixens as Super Netball’s unbeaten teams

NSW Swifts maintained their unbeaten start to the Super Netball season with an 80-66 victory over struggling West Coast Fever.

Sam Wallace scored 62 goals from 66 attempts in NSW Swifts’ win over West Coast Fever. Picture: AAP

NSW Swifts maintained their unbeaten start to the Super Netball season with an 80-66 victory over struggling West Coast Fever.

The Swifts overcame a slow start at Sydney Olympic Park’s Quaycentre on Sunday to ease to their third successive win, joining the Melbourne Vixens as the only sides yet to taste defeat this season.

Sam Wallace backed up last week’s perfect 31-goal effort with 62 goals from 66 attempts while Helen Housby (18 goals, 14 assists) was pivotal in the Swifts’ strong finish as they outscored West Coast 43-29 after halftime. Hardworking duo Maddy Proud and Paige Hadley wore down the Fever in midcourt as they combined for 58 goal assists.

“It feels really good, I know that Fever is a great team,” Wallace said after the Swifts equalled the single-game goal scoring record in the win.

“It’s really kudos to us for actually pushing on to get that score.”

Desperate to atone for last week’s heavy defeat at home to Sunshine Coast Lightning, the Fever built a seven-goal lead in the second quarter but a quick burst from the home side ensured honours were even at the main break. But last season’s grand finalists collapsed in the second half as they coughed up 21 turnovers to remain winless after three rounds.

The Lightning put on a ruthless display in a 71-56 derby demolition of Queensland Firebirds in Brisbane.

An understrength Firebirds needed everything to go right at Boondall Entertainment Centre but they remain winless after the Lightning’s Laura Scherian and Peace Proscovia (53 goals) exposed some lopsided match-ups.

Wing attack Scherian’s speed and court craft was peerless, feeding a landslide of goal-shooting opportunities to Proscovia.

Firebirds shooter Gretel Tippett (40 goals from 40 attempts) fought all the way in front of 3561 fans but couldn’t do enough to turn the tide against an opposition who have won their last two games by an average of 20 goals.

Gabi Simpson, one of the Firebirds’ heaviest contributors over the opening fortnight, was forced out on match eve with a groin injury.

Stand-in captain Caitlyn Nevins had a devilish time trying to create space at the attack end under enormous pressure from Karla Pretorius. There was little the Firebirds could do to dull her impact.

Regardless of the quality of their passes, the South African’s long limbs speared into the ball’s path and she had four intercepts in the first quarter alone.

At the other end, where Simpson usually prowls, the Firebirds had no suitable replacement.

Scherian ran virtually unchecked and even when her feeds weren’t perfectly placed, the strength and clean hands of Proscovia ensured her team was rewarded.

Simpson’s absence due to a groin injury made it difficult for coach Roselee Jencke to find the right match-ups.

“She’s a pivotal part of our team. She’s our captain, our fearless leader,” Tippett said. “We all felt for her and she’d do anything to be out there.

“It shows how much we missed her.”

The Giants notched their first win of the season, stunning the Magpies 58-50 at the Quaycentre.

In a ferocious contest, the revamped Giants finally clicked into gear, with Caitlin Bassett doing the damage with a season-high 40 goals from 42 attempts.

AAP