Dominant Canberra Capitals douse the Townsville Fire

The Capitals claimed their sixth straight win with an 84-58 triumph over the Townsville Fire in front of 1163 fans at the National Convention Centre on Saturday.

Griffin posted a double double with a game-high 18 points and 11 rebounds, the Capitals looking virtually unstoppable against a rival WNBL finals contender.

The Capitals been undefeated since coach Paul Goriss returned from a one-month ban in January, stamping their credentials as a genuine championship contender with the Perth Lynx the only side standing between Canberra and the No. 1 seed.

Right now - touch wood - not even a global pandemic can slow them down.

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The Capitals were without two key pieces of the line-up after Jade Melbourne and Alicia Froling were deemed close contacts of a COVID-19 case in a share house also including Gemma Potter and Shaneice Swain.

Potter was not in line to face the Fire as she continues her comeback from an anterior cruciate ligament tear, while development player Swain has spent the season learning from the sideline.

Development player Casey Samuels was unavailable as she prepares to face court on the Gold Coast on Monday. Yet all the disruptions mattered little as the hosts dominated from the outset.

"I just said to the girls, the way we went about it with the disruptions we've had during the week is a credit to the girls. This team continues to show their resilience and character," Goriss said.

"To come out the way that we did, I don't know of a more dominant start that I have had from the six years I've been here. We took great shots, the ball was moving, everyone was together at both ends of the floor.

"We continued that on until half-time. Just super proud of the group and how we're playing. We're playing the right way at both ends of the floor."

The Capitals raced to a 16-point lead at the first break, shooting at 80 per cent from beyond the arc in the opening quarter.

Kelsey Griffin, Kelly Wilson and Britt Sykes had all cracked double figures by half-time as Canberra shot out to a 53-31 lead. Things were only going to get tougher for the Fire when Lauren Nicholson went down with an ankle injury early in the third.

Shannon Seebohm's side needed something special, but it was clear that something wasn't going to come, Townsville instead struggling to shut down a Capitals outfit firing on all cylinders.

Canberra could be at full-strength for their top-four showdown with the Melbourne Boomers next Sunday, provided Capitals duo Melbourne and Froling are cleared of COVID-19.

AT A GLANCE

WNBL round 11: CANBERRA CAPITALS 84 (Kelsey Griffin 18, Britt Sykes 13, Britt Smart 12) bt TOWNSVILLE FIRE 58 (Stephanie Reid 13, Lauren Nicholson 10, Courtney Woods 10) at National Convention Centre. Crowd: 1163.

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