Townsville Fire overcame a horror start to win their first WNBL title with a 75-65 home grand final win over Bendigo on Sunday.

It was sweet revenge for Townsville who had lost the last two season deciders at Bendigo and a perfect ending for Fire captain and guard Rachael McCully, who logged a match-high nine assists in her final game.

Mia Newley notched a personal season-high 23 points and Suzy Batkovic scored 22, as Townsville took control of the game with a decisive 12-4 run into halftime.

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Newley also did a great job defensively after she was moved onto Bendigo’s top scorer Belinda Snell, who scorched the Fire with 12 first quarter points but didn’t add to her halftime tally of 17.

Bendigo shot to an early 10-2 lead, but the Fire worked their way back into the game and trailed by just two at the first change.

With the game locked at 35-35 in the second quarter, Townsville cranked up their defence and Bendigo missed nine of their last 11 shots in the period, as the Fire established a 47-39 halftime advantage.

The Fire never subsequently led by less than six as Bendigo remained ice cold offensively in the second half.

Townsville swelled their lead to 12 in the third quarter, but missing six out of 10 free throws in the period meant they only led by eight at the final change.

They clinched Queensland’s first WNBL title with a 8-0 start to the final quarter, as Bendigo took almost four minutes to get their first points of the period.

– AAP