All report by the ANZ
An astonishing last-gasp 62-61 victory by the Tactix over their southern rivals the Steel in Invercargill tonight belied the match’s “clash of the wooden spooners” tag.
An emotional Tactix captain Maree Bowden couldn’t believe the final score in a “massive” game which the Steel led until the final minute. It was the Tactix patience and unflagging determination which saw them through to their second win of a testing season.
The good news for the Steel was having Shannon Francois return to the court at wing attack, recovered from an injury to her right ankle.
Little separated the two sides for the first 15 minutes. Tactics goal keep Bessie Manu threw herself into the action trying to disrupt the early harmony of the Steel shooting duo, while at the other end Steel goal keep Storm Purvis was engaging in a classic contest with Ellen Halpenny.
With all four shooters getting into the thick of things, it was a high-scoring first quarter, ending 16-15 in the Steel’s favour.
The homeside ran out to a three-goal advantage soon after the start of the second spell, thanks to the finely-tuned understanding between shooters Jodi Brown and Donna Wilkins. But the Steel put their lead at risk with a string of basic errors, under pressure in the midcourt from Tactix captain Maree Bowden.
In the last two minutes, the Steel showed improved consistency to lead 35-31 at halftime.
Realising they were on the back foot, the Tactix made a raft of changes in their defence for the third quarter. Looking to force more turnovers, English import Stacey Francis slipped back into the circle with Manu, and Kiley Hikawai filled the wing defence gap.
At the same end, the Steel switched Brown and Wilkins seeking more movement in the shooting circle. Wilkins relished the opportunity to sink more ball, keeping her shooting percentage in the high 90s. The introduction of Adine Wilson at wing attack threatened to push the Steel out further.
But the Tactix would not be daunted by the Steel’s experience, with mainstay goal shoot Jo Harten continuing to add to the score with confidence, mimicking Wilkins’ performance. But too many lost opportunities frustrated the Tactix, who struggled to finish off the good defensive work, and the gap remained at four, 49-45, going into the final period.
Even with a rejigged attack - Gina Crampton at goal attack, and Wilson at centre – the Steel still couldn’t shake off the Cantabrians, who forced mistakes in the midcourt and clawed within one with five minutes of the match remaining. As the pressure intensified, play became chaotic. Confusion at the centre pass from the Steel allowed the Tactix to equalise in the last minute, and then steal victory.
