Reigning champions Forestville have secured their first victory of Season 2011 after accounting for Woodville 95-59 at St Clair on Saturday night.

After appearing slightly behind the eight-ball in their Round 1 loss, the Eagles were anything but in this one, totally dominating other than a few minutes late in the third quarter.

Georgia Minear filled up the scoresheet with 29 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks, while Jess Fergus was everywhere, finishing with 16 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.

The Eagles also had excellent contributions from their other starters Jamie-Lee Bow, Alex Duncan and Tara Robinson. Bow (15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals) and Duncan (8 points, 8 assists, 2 steals) both produced some brilliant second efforts, whereas Robinson (13 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists) dominated inside.

The hot shooting from Forestville was one of the keys to their win, going at 46 per cent from the field and 45 per cent beyond the arc.

On the other hand, the Warriors constantly coughed the ball up, finishing with 32 turnovers compared to just 23 made baskets. Woodville connected on just 36 per cent of their shots.

Brittany Mickan-Winter was Woodville’s best player on the night, scoring 16 points and grabbing 6 rebounds. Brooke Rule was the only other Warrior to score in double-digits, although Claire Christie had a game-high 13 rebounds.

The Eagles set up their victory with a blistering 19-4 first quarter; a lead which should have perhaps been greater.

The game was spent predominantly in Forestville’s front half. If a shot was missed, they would either grab the offensive rebound or get in the way of the passing lane.

On a score, their back court pressure was too much for Woodville.

Minear got to the rack at ease, Robinson was a force down low, and Fergus was at the top of her game, as they Eagles built a 15 point buffer.

The Warriors were much improved offensively in the second quarter, and their defensive intensity was much greater, even pinching a couple of steals in their own front half.

However, most of the time, Forestville broke down Woodville’s full-court defence, leading to quick hoops at the other end.

In the end, the Eagles won the second quarter 28-15.

Forestville got their lead out above 30 in the third, before a late rally got the margin back to 22 at three-quarter time.

Christie began the fourth with a three-pointer to get the margin back to 19, however, any hopes Woodville had of a miraculous comeback were put to bed immediately, with the Eagles outscoring them 30-13 the rest of the way for a blowout victory.

Defining moment: Both teams had tough losses last week, so the start was always going to be extremely important. Following on from their big fourth quarter against the Tigers, the Eagles came out intense and fired up right from the get-go, and did not look a step slower like they did last week. The Warriors did not have any breathing space for the entire 10 minutes, and were somewhat lucky to have only been 15 down. The tone of the game was set in this patch of play.

Forestville verdict: The Eagles were back to their best on Saturday, dominating the game in their trademark way of Season 2010. Minear and Robinson showed they are capable of filling the big hole left by Mahony and Newley, while Bow and Duncan are continually improving. If Forestville fails in their quest to secure a three-peat, they will not be far off.

Woodville verdict: After a competitive performance against North last week, the Warriors were no match for the stronger, more talented Eagles. They were totally overwhelmed in the first period, and when they lifted, Forestville took further advantage of them. They should be competitive against the lower half, but expect similar results to this one against the League’s top tier. 

By James Woite