MELBOURNE, Australia (CMC) — Queensland Firebirds stayed on course for ANZ Championship glory, but two other sides with Jamaicans in their line-ups continued to tread water, when they suffered defeats last weekend.

Top Jamaican goalshooter Romelda Aiken scored 37 goals from 45 attempts and outclassed the Haier Pulse, 61-44, at the Te Rauparaha Arena in Wellington, New Zealand.

The visitors delivered a complete team performance, executing the simple things well as they put a battling Pulse team to the sword to remain unbeaten the Championship.

There appeared to be few chinks in the Firebirds armour as they slowly built a 15-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.

In full flight, the visitors were like a well-oiled machine as they executed the basics with a high degree of accuracy, and were ahead 31-19 at halftime.

Despite her superior height advantage, Aiken at times came under pressure from Pulse goalkeeper Bessie Manu, who disrupted the flow of passes into the Sunshine Girls shooter to keep her side in the hunt at 45-31 after three quarters.

The visitors suffered a major blow when their captain Lauren Nourse had to be carried from the court with a knee injury, but it did little to stifle the Firebirds’ attacking momentum.

Aiken is expected to start her 50th ANZ Championship match for the Firebirds, when they face the Melbourne Vixens on Thursday at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre.

At the Hisense Arena in this city, the Vixens withstood rampaging Jamaican goal shooter Carla Borrego, who netted 37 goals from 40 attempts, to topple the defending champions Adelaide Thunderbirds, 55-53.