MARLINS coach Aaron Fearne has accused his team of being like a 'bully in the playgrounds', running scared when Townsville dished up the type of physical, intimidating ball Cairns usually uses to its own advantage.

The Marlins eventually won Saturday’s Queensland Basketball League clash 103-88 to remain undefeated after six starts, but failed to cope with the Heat’s explosive start to the match.

Townsville raced to a 13-point buffer at the first break as the Marlins struggled to get into the game.

A 17-7 rally in the opening minutes of the second term had the Marlins back in the game and when Rowan Gray hit the first of his free-throw attempts two-and-a-half minutes from halftime, the game was tied up.

It took until midway through the third term, when Dean Brebner landed a three-pointer, for the Marlins to finally hit the front.

But they were ruthless once they got there, winning the second half 54-34 to post a comprehensive win.

Fearne was confident the Marlins had the depth and firepower to overcome their rivals but was disappointed with the start.

"We had a lot of energy and enthusiasm at training this week and really got after it and I had a bit of concern that going into the game it would be a little bit too overboard and we played like that in the first quarter," he said.

"We just gave them easy stuff, which we normally don’t do, and they had a 34-point quarter.

"Come the end of the first quarter, I had to explain a couple of things and get them just to back off a
little bit and from that point on, they would have had 20-point quarters (against us)."

Outstanding defence helped the Marlins back into the game, their pressure generating several Townsville turnovers and generating counter-attacking and scoring opportunities.

While they eventually settled, the Marlins were clearly ruffled early in the match, the players’ frustration almost paralysing the team’s ability to execute.

"Townsville came out and got really physical and once again we just didn’t deal with it, that’s what’s disappointing," Fearne said.

"Cairns-Townsville games are always going to be like that, deal with it. Control your emotions – and we didn’t.

"We want to play physical, quick, be intimidating with our defence and play that way. Well, when teams step up and come back at you, it’s like the bully in the playground.

"They pick on you and then someone goes at them and they normally go away and hide – we just complained. We just complained all the time and I’m very disappointed with that."

CAIRNS MARLINS 103 (Dwayne Vale 24, Dean Brebner 19, Deba George 18) d TOWNSVILLE HEAT 88 (Cameron Tovey 32, Anthony Susnjara 15, Anthony Ferguson 12).

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