Canadian keen to help Flames fight back 

Townsville Flames centre Kali Grootenboer said her team’s tough first round loss to Cairns will be a wake-up call ahead of this weekend’s Rockhampton/Mackay road double.

The Canadian recruit impressed with 15 points and five rebounds in their NBL1 North season opener but the Flames were well-beaten by the Dolphins at Carmichael Ford Stadium.

Grootenboer and her teammates are confident they can bounce back in Round 2, starting with Friday night’s clash with the Cyclones in Rockhampton before taking on the Meteorettes in Mackay the next night.

“Obviously our first game was not what we wanted coming into the season but I think it was a wake-up call for all of us,” she said.

“It kind of made us realise we need to lock in, improve on our defence and start working together more as a team.

“I’m new to the league but I’ve heard Rockhampton will have a strong inside presence so I’ve got to be ready for that. It’s a long trip down there and I’ve heard that the crowd is pretty crazy but we’ll all be ready to go.”

Grootenboer played her college basketball in Canada at the University of Windsor with Townsville captain Harriet Carey and the 193cm jumped at the chance to re-untie with her in Australia for a season.

“I am really good friends with Harriett and we were roommates so when she reached out and asked if I was interested in playing, I was like yeah, 100 per cent. It’s so much warmer here, so much nicer, I love it here and it’s a great opportunity,” she said.

“I think I’m adjusting well to the league and it’s nice to experience something different than what I’m used to.”

While the Flames are still chasing their first win, the Townsville Heat head into their road double buoyed off a huge home victory over Cairns Marlins last Saturday.

Energetic big man Marshall Wilson said there was a great feeling in the group as they gear up to battle the Rockets in Rockhampton on Friday, before taking on the reigning champion Meteors in Mackay.

“We were really good at spacing the floor against Cairns, we played physical and we just need to keep that up and improve on our defence a bit,” the 21-year-old said.

“Rocky is always a tough crowd and you always expect a lot of chat from them but our team is keen as.

“We’re full of frogs, ready to go and we’ve got a good group with great chemistry.”

Don’t miss a second of the NBL1 North action, with all games live streamed at https://nbl1.com.au/conference/north.