Fever secure Super Netball finals berth

West Coast Fever have locked up a place in the Super Netball finals series after a 68-55 win over Melbourne Vixens.

Ingrid Coyler of the Fever defends against Renae Ingles of the Vixens.

West Coast Fever's defence has laid the platform for a Super Netball win over Melbourne Vixens. (AAP)

A stunning first-half defensive effort from West Coast Fever has them a step closer to finishing top of the Super Netball table after a 68-55 win over Melbourne Vixens.

Fever's defensive lockdown job in the opening half was remarkable and when they finished the first half on a 9-1 run with the Vixens lost for answers in attack, the game was all but over.

Fever are now guaranteed of playing finals and can finish top beating the Giants in Sydney next week. The Vixens must beat the Sunshine Coast Lightning at home to make it too.

The Vixens battled in the second half but Fever did enough to win well on the back of another 62 goals from 66 attempts to Jhaniele Fowler.

Nat Medhurst provided 39 assists while the defensive duo of Courtney Bruce and Stacey Francis were superb.

Mwai Kumwenda put up 32 goals for the Vixens before leaving with a leg injury late in the third quarter. Tegan Philip finished with 20 from 25 attempts.

Fever shot out of the blocks with the opening three goals and claimed the game's first bonus point winning the first quarter 19-14 but Melbourne did make a run midway through the second period.

A 6-2 run with all the goals coming from Kumwenda had the Vixens back within three.

But Fever's defensive pressure an intensity went up another level with the Vixens throwing the ball away and unable to get into shooting positions.

The result was an 11-goal half-time lead for Fever but the Vixens turned the tide with Emily Mannix coming on to make life tough for Fowler.

Philip was more active too and they won the quarter 20-16 to only trail by seven.

She tried to lift the Vixens through the final stanza despite the absence of Kumwenda.

They did close to within six before Fever scored eight of the game's last 10 goals.


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Source: AAP


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