Phoenix launch NBL1 North Women season with victory over cross-town rival

Sunshine Coast Phoenix have defeated cross-town rivals USC Rip City 89-70 on the opening night of the NBL1 North Women season at USC Stadium on Thursday.

Led by the efficient scoring from Phoenix centre Bianca Abbott (22points from 11 of 16 shooting and 14 rebounds) and former Olympian and WNBL star Kathleen MacLeod (18 points and nine assists), Sunshine Coast bookended the game with strong opening and closing quarters, outscoring Rip City 26-18 and 26-15 respectively.

Down nine at the half, USC closed the gap to two points early in the third, but Phoenix kept their composure, and their consistency proved the difference.

Rip City’s Carlie Smith (18 points), Jasmine Forcadilla (13 points) and Liisa Ups (13 points) top scored for USC. But the home side were not able to find their range, hitting just 6 of 23 three-point attempts (26.1%) compared to Phoenix’s 4 of 9 three-pointers (44.4%).

The Phoenix bench outscored their opposition reserves 23-14, with Caitlin Clancy (11 points) and Jennifer Carden-David (10 points) showcasing Sunshine Coast’s depth.