Undefeated Island: Tassie Jewels stay unbeaten at home

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The Tasmania Jewels are definitely "defending the Island" in their inaugural WNBL season after winning their third straight at home after beating the Southside Melbourne Flyers 99-79 at the Silverdome in Launceston.

Tasmania have climbed into the competition's top five with a record of 3-2 following their undefeated start at home, with their only losses coming on the road to the Flyers and to the Adelaide Lightning in South Australia.

The Jewels dominated the second and third quarters 57-38, which proved too much for a young Flyers side to overcome despite a hot start, with five Tasmanian players scoring in double figures - led by one of the recruits of the offseason in Brooke Basham with 20 points.

Steph Reid also had 17 points while Gianna Kneepkens had 15, Darcee Garbin and Keely Froling both had 14 points.

"I think anytime we get a lead in Tassie, we feel really good. The crowd is awesome," Jewels coach Claudia Brassard said in the post-game press conference.

"It always sort of lifts us and then we kind of feel like our chest (is) pumping and we're going to win this game. I think it gives us a lot of confidence playing at home.

"We need to learn how to win not at home. Can't play all the games in Tassie unfortunately but yes, I thought once we got the lead that we would hang on."

Reid said the Tasmanian fans were something she hasn't been a part of before.

"We love it honestly. The fans are insane and I think they create a lot of momentum for us and they feed off our energy and I think we feed off theirs," she said.

"We're absolutely loving it. It's so nice. There's so many Jewels jerseys and Jewels jumpers in the crowd, they've just gotten so around us so quickly and I think like we're really, really adamant that we want to defend the island. We want to win at home. We want this to be a fortress.

"I think (for us) just keeping that motivation, we need to win on the road but it is really nice to you know come home to our fans and this community because yeah I haven't been a part of anything like it."

The win was Jewels import and Atlanta Dream centre Madina Okot's first in the WNBL, and as all bigs do, she struggled with foul trouble - fouling out in just under 14 minutes with four points, six rebounds and two blocks to her name.

Chinese superstar Wang Siyu led the way for the Flyers with 16 points while Hannah Hank had 13 points, most of which were in the first quarter.

Australian basketball legend and Flyers coach Sam Mackinnon said his young team were still learning how to win.

"We're all disappointed for sure, we're working hard at training, we're working on our communication and trying to, I mean probably I let the team down tonight in the third by not calling that timeout in the third but sort of learning from what's been going on the season and we're kind of right there," he said.

"We're all disappointed but beauty is we got three games in eight days. We're 0-2 in the stretch and we get to go home on Sunday and play Perth.

"I think it's just learning to win... we show periods where we're really good and competitive and have leads.

"We've just got to keep on believing, keep on working and it'll turn for us. I think Unique's obviously come in trying to get fitter, Rainy's (Siyu) is getting used to being an import in FIBA basketball, (Saffron Shiels) is going to come back, we've got some some some players who are learning WNBL.

"We still believe it. We get to play basketball for a living and get to compete. So, I know I believe and I'm sure they do as well."

Southside Melbourne host Perth at the Victorian State Basketball Centre on Sunday while the Jewels don't play until November 22 when they face the UC Capitals in Canberra.