Fire Up: Townsville Blaze to Fifth Straight Win

Townsville have consolidated their standing as the WNBL's runaway championship favourite with a clinical 90-64 victory over the Adelaide Lightning.

The ladder leaders were challenged at times in the opening half at the SA State Basketball Centre on Tuesday night, before stamping their class with a smothering 22-9 third quarter.

Townsville captain Alicia Froling posted 22 points on 100 per cent shooting and 11 rebounds, while Miela Sowah added 21.

Import Sania Feagin scored 18 for the Lightning, however Froling dominated in the paint to pilot Townsville to a 26-19 quarter-time lead.

The Lightning stayed within touch, largely through Feagin, trimming the Fire's advantage to five points, before the visitors replied with a 7-0 spurt.

Lucy Olsen finished the second period with three free throws to push Townsville's cushion to 47-36 at halftime.

Adelaide became ragged from there, rattled by the Fire's pick-and-roll on offence and full-court press on defence in the third term, before the gap ballooned to 30 late in the fourth.

"I thought the first half we were a little bit lethargic," Townsville coach Shannon Seebohm said.

"At halftime we spoke about a few things and to the girls' credit they made the adjustments.

"We came out, particularly on the defensive end, with a lot more energy and fire."

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