Debutant Miela Sowah's sharp shooting and captain Stephanie Reid's dogged defence have carried the Opals to an 88-70 win over New Zealand in the opening game of the inaugural Trans-Tasman Throwdown.
After threatening to power away early at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Wednesday, Australia saw their lead slashed to a single point in the fourth quarter before responding emphatically with a 21-2 surge down the stretch.
