Shannon Seebohm responded to claims the Flyers were “manhandled” in the Fire’s game one win<\/p>\n
Townsville coach Shannon Seebohm has scoffed at Southside Melbourne mentor Kristi Harrower\u2019s attempts to divert attention away from her team\u2019s woeful effort amid claims the Fire \u201cmanhandled\u201d her players and the referees allowed them to get away with it, writes Michael Randall from CODE Sports Basketball<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Flyers gave up the first 17 points in game one of their best of three WNBL semi-final series and equalled the lowest score of any quarter this season \u2014 just six points in the first as her team was destroyed by 28 in Townsville<\/a>.<\/p>\n Post game, Harrower took aim at the \u201cphysicality\u201d of the Fire and said the referees allowed them to \u201cget away with that up here\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t respond, but we\u2019ve just got to regroup and go home and hopefully get some calls go our way and get a win,\u201d Harrower said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s finals basketball, it\u2019s more physical than what it is in (the) normal season and refs let it go.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m all for the physicality, don\u2019t get me wrong. Like, I love physicality basketball \u2014 as long as they let us do it both ends of the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n After a game where the foul count was 22-18 in Townsville\u2019s favour and the Fire shot 19 free throws to 11, Seebohm hit back at Harrower, intimating there was a hint of sour grapes after the comprehensive loss.<\/p>\n \u201cShe (Harrower) says that word (physicality) a million times after every game … it certainly feels like when we play them, any time they\u2019re in a position where the score isn\u2019t in their favour, the physicality goes through the roof,\u201d Seebohm said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cThe refs were fine, it was great to see they actually called some fouls on the Flyers. <\/p>\n \u201cThe grabbing, holding and all that stuff will go to another level (in game two) and that\u2019s fine, that\u2019s finals basketball.\u201d<\/p>\n The war of words is now a dramatic pre-script to game two as Seebohm\u2019s imperious ladder leaders will enter odds on to complete a series sweep, book a spot in the WNBL grand final \u2014 and put Southside Melbourne out of its misery.<\/p>\n