Ja trio helps to lift Thunderbirds into second

MELBOURNE, Australia (CMC):

Another solid performance from the Jamaican trio of defenders Shamera Sterling-Humphrey and Latanya Wilson, and goal shooter Romelda Aiken-George, enabled defending champions Adelaide Thunderbirds to make home advantage count with a 67-41 win against Melbourne Mavericks in the Super Netball League over the weekend.

But the big news was that the embattled Queensland Firebirds pulled off the biggest upset of the season, putting their off-court turbulence aside and climbing off the bottom of the standings with a stunning 78-70 win against West Coast Fever.

Fever were expected to make light work of the Firebirds at the Nissan Arena on Saturday in Brisbane, but the hosts were desperate to avoid a third successive defeat and carried the fight to Green Army.

Jamaica captain Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, arguably the best goal shooter in the world, scored 65 goals on 57 from 58 scoring from inside the arc and four from nine from outside, but she failed to inspire the Fever and they crumbled to their second defeat of the season.

A blow-out appeared to be in the making when the Fever steamed ahead 20-12 in the first quarter, but an 8-0 burst, capped by back-to-back super shots from Donnell Wallam in the last 12 seconds, drew Firebirds level 20-20 at the break.

With acting captain Lara Dunkley firing at wing attack and Macy Gardner replacing Hulita Veve at centre, Queensland took a shock 41-39 lead into the half-time break when Wallam drilled a two-pointer on the siren.

A pair of turnovers from Fowler-Nembhard at the start of the third term enabled the Firebirds to tighten their grip and they finished the quarter with a 57-51 lead.

Jamaican defender Kadie-Ann Dehaney was suspended for two minutes during the final stanza for dangerous contact to make the going tougher for the Fever down the stretch, and Fowler-Nembhard got them to close the gap, but the Firebirds finished the match with a stirring 7-0 burst seal the deal.

Fever goal attack Shanice Beckford of Jamaica ended with four goals from eight attempts, including three missed super shots, and Dehaney finished with two interceptions and four deflections.

The result meant that Fever have dropped from second to third in the standings, on 32 points, the same number for the T-birds, who have climbed into second - four behind leaders Melbourne Vixens - after riding another defensive master class from the Jamaican duo of Sterling-Humphrey and Wilson.