Big Townsville Texan way too much for Flyers

• American import Lauren Cox dominates second half
• Courtney Woods stuffs stat sheet, has 17-7-5
• Fire move to 9-5, Southside 4-11

Townsville centre Lauren Cox dominated the second half on both sides of the ball to help propel the Fire to a 73-63 (Game Centre) home win against the Southside Flyers in round 11 of WNBL25 on January 11, 2025.

The 26-year-old Texan scored the bulk of her team-high 25 points after halftime. She finished with 25 on 10-from-17 from the floor, 3-from-5 from three, six boards, two assists, two blocks and a steal. Her defensive presence in the paint altered shots whenever the Flyers attack the rim.

Townsville are third on the WNBL at 9-5 and are right in it while Southside Flyers are languishing on the bottom of the ladder at 4-11.

The first half could only be described as a grind as both teams struggled to score the ball. The Flyers led 29-22 at halftime.

But the Fire broke it open in the the third quarter, forcing the Flyers into a series of turnovers that fuelled a 12-2 run.

Courtney Woods played a pivotal role during this stretch, contributing seven points and a couple of steals to help Townsville build a commanding 15-point lead.

Woods had herself a ball. The 6'0" wing shot 54.5% from the field for 17 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Southside's Alice Kunek scored her 3000th WNBL point, finishing with nine points on 3-from-11 from the field. Bec Cole struggled from the field, she went just 1-from-9 in 17 minutes, while Naz Hillmon recorded a double-double with 27 points and 11 rebounds.

Statistically, the Fire's efficiency was the difference-maker. They shot an impressive 44.3% from the field compared to the Flyers' 36.4%, and dominated the rebounding battle 38-32.