Abbey fires Townsville to road win in GF rematch

• Townsville Fire beat Bendigo Spirit 74-66 in Round 1 as Abbey Ellis dominates with 31 points and 10 rebounds
• Fire avenge Grand Final loss from seven months ago
• Hot shooting proves decisive for Townsville

Statement made. The Townsville Fire have gone into Bendigo and beaten the defending champion Spirit 74-66 in Round 1 of WNBL26 in a Grand Final rematch from just seven months ago.

Fire guard Abbey Ellis was outstanding in her 31-point performance, which helped the Fire maintain their lead despite a fourth-quarter push from the Spirit. Ellis went 10-from-16 from the field including 6-from-9 from threes in 34 minutes. She didn't have a turnover.

The Fire top basketball.com.au's WNBL Power Rankings and have already proved the team to beat.

Key Details

• Result: Townsville Fire 74 def. Bendigo Spirit 66
• When: 19th October 2025
• Where: Red Energy Arena
• Standings

By the Numbers

• Abbey Ellis (Townsville Fire) starred with 31 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and one steal in 33 minutes.
• Isobel Borlase (Bendigo Spirit) scored 17 points, and had eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks in 34 minutes.

Abbey Ellis — Townsville Fire (Round 1 vs Bendigo Spirit)

Minutes: 33:29 │ Points: 31 │ FG: 10/16 (62.5%) │ 2PT: 4/7 (57.1%) │ 3PT: 6/9 (66.7%) │ FT: 5/6 (83.3%) │ Rebounds: 10 (2 OR, 8 DR) │ Assists: 4 │ Turnovers: 0 │ Steals: 1 │ Blocks: 0 │ Personal Fouls: 3 │ Fouled Drawn: 4 │ Efficiency: 39 │ +/-: +14

What Happened

Townsville started strong, taking a 23-19 lead in the first quarter before extending their advantage to 44-34 by halftime. The Fire's 21-point second quarter, fueled by Ellis's hot shooting, provided the cushion they would need later in the game.

The momentum shifted in the third quarter as Bendigo outscored Townsville 19-10, cutting the deficit to just one point heading into the final period. However, the Fire responded with a decisive 20-13 fourth quarter to secure the eight-point victory.

Ellis was simply unstoppable for Townsville, shooting an efficient 10-from-16 from the field, including a remarkable 6-from-9 from three-point range. Her 31 points accounted for nearly 42 per cent of the Fire's total offense, while her 10 rebounds helped Townsville control the glass.

The Fire's superior shooting proved to be the difference maker. Townsville connected on 10-from-20 from beyond the arc (50 per cent) compared to Bendigo's dismal 5-from-23 (21.7 per cent). Despite both teams attempting 19 free throws, the Fire's overall shooting efficiency gave them the edge.

Defensively, Courtney Woods was a disruptive force for Townsville, recording five steals.

For Bendigo, Marianna Tolo provided interior protection with three blocks, but it wasn't enough to contain the Fire's balanced attack.

The Spirit's 11 turnovers compared to Townsville's 14 helped keep them within striking distance, but they couldn't overcome the Fire's shooting advantage.