The Stars won the Queensland clash 95-75 and had five players score 16 points or more, but it was their relentless defence which set the platform for the win over the Suzy Batkovic led Fire. The Stars picking up 24 of their 95 points from Townsville turnovers.

Mansfield gave her self the ideal birthday gift at the Logan Metro Centre, with a superb display running the point for Shane Heal's side, finishing with 17 points, seven rebounds and eight assists as she flirted with a triple double.

Batkovic was at her usual dominant best with 32 points for the Fire but she was unable to carry her side past a Stars team shot the lights out, sinking nine three pointers including three from Opals representative Rachel Jarry who finished with 16 points, and two from fellow Opal Bec Allen who had her best game in a Stars uniform with 16 points and two blocks.

Heal said he was confident that Allen would eventually return to the form which made her one of the country's best players.

"We have said to Bec that we already know she can do that, she has been out seven months and sometimes people can concentrate too much on that and when you haven't played for a long time and you come back we want her to concentrate on the defensive end, and that's the area that she did really well last Sunday, she really helped us win that game (in Adelaide) on Leilani Mitchell with her defence, and I feel like she is starting to build confidence, and we have got a lot of belief in what she is going to do, but it was always going to take four, six, eight weeks," he said.

"But at the same time it was nice for her to be able to knock down some shots, and see that she is making progression every week, she's a great kid, she's stayed positive and she was really good for us again tonight."

The Stars were led early by new import Jordan Hooper who led the SEQ in scoring with 25 points, 10 of which came in the first quarter as the Stars took a 55-40 lead into the half time break.

The former University of Nebraska star, who has also played in the WNBA and in Turkey said she is thoroughly enjoying her time in the WNBL and playing with her new teammates.

"I feel like I've been accepted into the team really well and I love playing with everybody, I feel like we all feed off each others energy and we know where the open person is and we just pass the extra pass because I feel like we believe in the next person, we believe they're going to get the shot or get the rebound or get the steal, all that kinda stuff," she said.

"It's been really positive to see everybody has been welcoming me and everything and I'm just kind of fitting in with everybody, its been awesome."

Fellow import Ify Ibekwe was the fifth SEQ player in double figures with 17 points of her own.

Cayla George, 16 points and Micaela Cocks with 10, played decent cameos for the Fire.

Townsville coach Chris Lucas said his side were let down by their defence in the first half.

"To give up 95 points your not going to win many games and that's the bottom line," he said.

"We know we can defend, we just didn't defend well tonight, we didn't defend well we didn't start well, our shot selection early wasn't what we're looking for and hence they were shooting the all at nearly 60 per cent from the three point line in the first half and that's the game right there as far as I'm concerned."

Heal was full of praise for his side's defence.

"I just felt like from the very start our energy was good we continued on from the improvement we made against Adelaide and I just though defensively the energy was there, the ability to follow a scout, and it just comes down to commitment and a mindset and the girls were great tonight, the were really were," he said.

South East Queensland host the Dandenong Rangers at the Logan Metro Centre on January 2.

This story first appeared on the Jimboomba Times.

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