4
Jan
WNBL Recap
BANG! BANG! Abbey Ellis wins it at the buzzer
Abbey Ellis of the Fire celebrates hitting the game winner in the round 10 WNBL match between Southside Flyers and Townsville Fire at State Basketball Centre on January 04, 2025 in Melbourne. Photo: Graham Denholm/Getty Images
Townsville Fire beats Flyers at the buzzer with long-range three
- Townsville solidify 3rd on the ladder with three-point road win
- Five Fire players scored in double figures
- Naz Hillmon had game-high 26 points and 12 rebounds in loss
Abbey Ellis busted a long, contested three point shot as the clock expired to give Townsville Fire a stunning three-point win — 78-75 — against Southside Flyers in a nail-biting finish (Game Centre) to their WNBL clash at State Basketball Centre in Melbourne on Saturday, January 4, 2025.
The Fire is now 8-5 while Southside's hopes of making the playoffs is now just a glimmer at 4-9.
Townsville's tenacious defence in the closing minutes proved decisive, as they held off the Flyers to secure a crucial victory in the race for playoff positioning.
The match was a back-and-forth affair from the opening tip, with neither side able to establish a commanding lead. Townsville's balanced offensive attack, led by Alicia Froling's 17 points and Lauren Cox's 16, kept them in the driver's seat for much of the contest.
However, the Flyers refused to go away, buoyed by a dominant performance from American import Naz Hillmon, who finished with a game-high 26 points and 12 rebounds. Hillmon tied the game at 75 with a lay-up.
The statistics tell the tale of a closely fought battle. Townsville's superior shooting efficiency (46.8% from the field compared to Southside's 37.7%) was offset by the Flyers' dominance on the boards, where they out-rebounded the Fire 43-34.
Alicia Froling's performance was particularly noteworthy for the Fire. The forward's 17 points came on a decent 6-from-13 shooting, and she added seven rebounds and three assists to her stat line. Her versatility on both ends of the court caused problems for the Flyers all night, and her clutch free-throw shooting in the final minute helped seal the victory.
For the Flyers, Hillmon's herculean effort deserves recognition despite the loss. The centre was a force, shooting a blistering 64.3% from the field and pulling down 12 rebounds. Her ability to create second-chance opportunities (seven offensive rebounds) kept Southside in the game until the final buzzer.
