Mystics pip Steel to stay on top
Losing their key shooting weapon Donnell Wallam just ahead of the three-quarter break to injury, the Mystics produced a masterstroke when shifting dynamic midcourt pivot Peta Toeava into the goal attack role for the last nine minutes.
It turned out to be a pulsating nine minutes, Toeava proving she’s a magician in most positions on the court as the teams turned on a thirilling contest.
Down by five at the last break, intercepts to defender Carys Stythe and Kimiora Poi set the Steel up for a spirited comeback. Mystics shooter Filda Vui negated the Steel’s two-point lead to level the scores with a super shot with under two minutes to play. One last Holly Rae turnover gave the Mystics the sniff they needed to clinch a hard-fought win against an impressive Steel challenge.
The result helped the visitors retain the Georgina Salter Memorial Trophy in a match which also celebrated umpire Kristie Simpson, who was officiating in her 150th national league match.
Still missing midcourter Kate Heffernan through injury, the Steel retained their winning starting seven from the previous week. For the visitors, goal attack Hannah Glen got her first start of the season in an otherwise predictable line-up.
The connection between clever feeder Peta Toeava and her tall shooting target Wallam was evident from the first whistle as the Mystics quickly sprung into action with their quick through-court transition.
The Steel needed to show more patience threading the ball through in the face of strong defence but showing traits of old, the southerners ball retention was a feature. The visitors held the slimmest of early leads where Wallam and her opposite Aliyah Dunn showed perfect positioning and great accuracy under the hoop.
With everything very even on the statistics sheet, a steady, calm and patient Steel forged their way into the lead, Georgia Heffernan nailing the first and only super shot of the quarter to take the momentum and a 17-13 lead into the first break.
Both shooters remained in dominant form on the resumption where a goal-for-goal stand-off was the order of play for the opening exchanges. Both teams spun the ball through court seamlessly with Steel centre Poi in the thick of all the action.
A lift in the Mystics intensity helped the visitors eventually gain the slightest of edges through the second spell. The injection of super shot specialist Vui at goal attack for the last five minutes paid off handsomely in changing momentum the Mystics’ way.
With unassuming ease, Vui drilled three super shots to Heffernan’s one as the Mystics hit the front when taking a tenuous 31-30 lead at the main break.
The Mystics opened the third quarter with serious intent, tightening the screws and disrupting the Steel’s attacking flow. Captain Micahela Sokolich-Beatson was a telling presence from wing defence, upsetting the Steel’s feeds into the circle while getting her hands on a succession of turnover ball.
It resulted in errors from the Steel, who at the other end of the court couldn’t harness the growing dominance of pin-point feeds from Toeava and Vui into the safe hands of Wallam.
With the Mystics lead stretching out to six, Dunn showed she could shoot from anywhere when slotting a super shot to keep the Steel well in the race.
Disaster struck on the brink of three-quarter time when Wallam fell heavily while trying to retrieve a rebound, sustaining a wrist injury in the process and forcing her off the court.
Vui went back to goal shoot with Glen returning to goal attack as the Mystics headed into the last break with a 47-42 lead.