Fever finally beaten

West Coast Fever have suffered their first loss of the season, going down to the Queensland Firebirds 56-48 in an intense and physical contest at Perth Arena.

Queensland have moved within two points of the Fever and can steal top spot on the Australian conference next week, when West Coast have a bye.

Fever, nine games unbeaten before tonight, also fell short of a record crowd, with 6088 showing out, 100 short of the Arena crowd they drew in 2013.

Jamaican import Romelda Aiken was a towering force in the Queensland goal circle with 47 goals from 57 attempts.

Even Erena Mikaere, who is 193cm, could not match Aiken in the air as she dominated the game.

April Letton overcame a rolled ankle to line up at goal defence on the athletic Gretel Tippett, who finished with nine from 18, but fed Aiken with 17 goal assists.

Caitlin Bassett had a tough battle with Firebirds captain Laura Geitz to finish with 35 from 39, while Nat Medhurst worked hard for her 13 from 15.

Fever had a hot start, with captain Ashleigh Brazill dominating Caitlyn Nevins to help her side to 8-4 lead after 10 minutes.

But intercepts in the defensive end were disguising problems in attack where Bassett was under sever pressure from Australian skipper Geitz.

Medhurst stepped up to fill the breach to make sure West Coast went to the first break with a three-goal buffer.

Queensland went on the charge early in the second, forcing a Fever turnover to reduce the margin to two.

The teams went goal for goal as the tension rose until Geitz again forced errors in the home side’s goal circle to win the ball back for her side and help them to a one-goal lead at half-time.

Bassett and Brazill spoke to the umpires just before the third term got under way.

Josie Janz-Dawson replaced Letton at goal defence and Brazill and Shae Brown switched places.

Rebecca Bulley also came into the game to replace Claire McMeniman.

The visitors threatened to take the game away from Fever in the third term, piling on the pressure and forcing continual turnovers to score five straight goals and take their lead out to six.

But West Coast would not be easily denied, bravely fighting back and shooting three consecutively to reduce the deficit to three at the last change.

Fever brought the margin back to two early in the final term, before the Firebirds again put their foot down to move the lead out to seven.

Letton returned to the game with about six minutes remaining but it was academic as the Queensland romped to the win.