By Sophie Taylor
It was another strong showing from the Origin Australian Diamonds in their third clash against Jamaica, sealing the series 3-0 with a 80-33 victory at Melbourne’s John Cain Arena.
Liz Watson marked her 100th match in green and gold in style, just the sixth player – and first midcourter – to achieve the milestone.
Her SSN teammate Cara Koenen achieved her 50th cap too, both players starting on court together and showcasing their connection in attack.
The Diamonds were punishing from the very start, piling on the pressure to start the third test with a bang.
Koenen and Sophie Dwyer shot at 100% accuracy in the first quarter while Sarah Klau and Courtney Bruce brought some extra flair in defence with a couple of lifts inside the circle.
That strong start continued in the second term, with Dwyer’s connection with former GIANTS teammate Jamie-Lee Price paying dividends around the circle.
With their best half-time performance for the series, the Diamonds pulled out all the shots for their milestone players with another excellent second half to seal the deal.
Fresh legs piled on a whopping 24 goals to 10 in the third quarter, punishing Jamaica with non-stop pressure.
Sophie Garbin, Kiera Austin and Georgie Horjus injected fresh speed alongside Watson who shifted into wing attack, while Kate Moloney and Tilly Garrett entered in wing defence and wing defence respectively.
A runaway final term saw the Diamonds surpass their two previous match scores with three minutes remaining, securing a third win to finish the series.
