14th August 2011 | Daily Mercury

IT was do-or-die, but the Global Product Search Meteorettes are well and truly alive after their stunning QBL quarter-final triumph against Rockhampton on Saturday night at Candlestick Park.

The Meteorettes snapped a three-game losing streak at the expense of the Cyclones with a stirring 97-73 victory.

The home side trailed 27-21 at quarter time, but then outscored their opponents in each of the next three quarters.

The Cyclones took the early initiative after the dynamic Nicole Romeo put on a scoring clinic as she made baskets from range and all points of the compass.

Meteorettes’ coach Wade Rebetzke praised the resolve of his players when he spoke to the Daily Mercury after the team acknowledged the crowd.

“We contested every shot she (Romeo) made and she made three or four from the three-point line ... she was just on fire,” he said.

“I just said to the girls at quarter time ‘stay with it, stay with our plan ... it will come off’ and the girls really stuck to it defensively.

“I am extremely proud of them right now.”

Defence is the cornerstone on which the Meteorettes structure their game plan.

They tightened their defensive screws as they increased their intensity.

Angela Garden typified their determination to lock the ball in when she scrapped on the floor with Rockhampton opponents on two separate occasions.

“We had some plans and we tried to execute them as well as we could tonight and I think we did a fair job of that in the second, third and fourth quarters ... even in the first quarter,” Rebetzke said.

“You can’t stop fantastic players and Nicole came ready to go tonight and hats off to her because she’s a great player.

“As a group we just did a better job.”

Rebetzke praised the efforts of dynamic point guard Heidi Freeburn, who was pivotal in being able to restrict Romeo to 25 points.

“Heidi put the glove on her later in the game,” Rebetzke said.

“I take my hat off to Heidi ... she played a hell of a game tonight, she led us from the front.”

While Romeo led the scoring for the Cyclones, Biancia Abbott (21) was the only other player to reach double figures. This proved to be a telling statistic as the game unfolded.

 

In contrast, the Meteorettes enjoyed numerous avenues to the basket as they shared the scoring responsibility.

Rachel Allison led the way with 26 points, while Tami Willey (20), Freeburn (14), Fiona McGrath (14) and Jacquie Zelenka (10) were also influential.