Netball's Fever remain unbeaten

Apr 17, 2016 - 9:13 AM It's taken Stacey Rosman just over a season to tie the record for most wins as coach of the West Coast Fever as their bright start to 2016 continues.

The one-time trans-Tasman league stragglers went to 3-0 this season with a 64-50 home win over New Zealand side Mainland Tactix on Sunday.

The margin was a bit flattering too, as Rosman rested all but two of her starting seven in the final quarter, which her side started with a 53-38 advantage.

She clearly had one eye on next week's top-of-the-table clash with the also unbeaten NSW Swifts.

"For next week, it's nice to freshen some players up, but also get some game time into other players, so we have still got that rotation we can go to if we need to," Rosman said.

A win over the Swifts next weekend would give Rosman her 12th at the helm and send her ahead of Norman Plummer and Jane Searle, who each had three seasons as coach.

West Coast welcomed back captain Ashleigh Brazill from a knee injury for her first game of the season and she played a solid role in a well-organised defence.

For the Tactix, Kiwi international star Bailey Mes (18 from 22) and Mwai Kumwenda (28 from 31) were accurate under the net, but were well starved of opportunities.

At the other end Caitlin Bassett scored 35 from 37 in three quarters, but did give away seven penalties. Her national teammate Nat Medhurst shot 19 from 25.

The loss leaves the Tactix with just one point after three rounds, courtesy of their draw with the Southern Steel last weekend.

Scoring went goal-for-goal early in the opening term and the teams were locked together at 8-8 before the Fever went on a 7-1 run to take the advantage.

And when Medhurst dropped one from long range right on the quarter-time buzzer, the home side enjoyed a 21-13 lead.

Besides a stretch in the second quarter when the Tactix scored six consecutive goals, Fever held the momentum.

And by the time the NZ team went on their run it was only able to reduce a 13-goal margin to seven.

Source: AAP