Polished Pulse end Stars winning run
A rampant Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse halted the Northern Stars recent resurgent form in its tracks with a decisive 65-50 win in Auckland today.
Apart from a drawn third quarter, the Pulse dominated proceedings to end the day with all 10 of the team getting court time while consolidating their position at the top of the table.
Rising young goalkeeper Kate Burley and consistent shooter Maia Wilson were positive contributors for the Stars but the home team, coming off back-to-back wins, struggled to contain a Pulse team in full flight.
With 18 more shots at goal, the Pulse enjoyed an influential share of the possession with defenders Karin Burger, Katrina Grant and Sulu Fitzpatrick adding to the bounty with a fine haul of turnover ball.
The versatile Holly Fowler slipped into wing defence for the Stars in place of the injured Fa’amu Ioane while the Pulse fronted with a predictable and settled starting seven.
It was an action-packed start, both teams providing plenty of movement and flow on attack, but slowly and surely it was the Pulse who wrested the momentum. With all areas of their court working effectively and efficiently, the visitors flexed their considerable muscle to push into a position of advantage.
Wilson was her usual reliable self for the hosts but with fewer opportunities couldn’t stop the Pulse building a handy 17-12 lead at the first break.
There was no stopping the visitors on the resumption, pocket-rocket pivot Whitney Souness leading a rampant onslaught on attack. The Pulse, at times, dazzled with their attacking play, speed, accuracy and ball placement to leave the Stars back-pedalling.
Finding the top of the circle with ease, Souness had a seamless connection with her shooters Tiana Metuarau and Aliyah Dunn who enjoyed plenty of ball to provide the finishing touches.
At the other end, the Stars could not consistently breach the Pulse’s impressive defensive unit, who preyed effectively on grabbing turnover opportunities. There was no respite shown for the home team as the Pulse went into overdrive when taking a 35-22 lead at the main break.
In a bid to stem the flow, Christine Oscar (wing attack) and Olivia Coughlan (goalkeeper) were introduced while captain Grace Kara moved to centre as the Stars produced a productive third term.
With Oscar playing a strong hand, the home side showed more fluency on attack, Wilson coming to the party with a flurry of scoring opportunities. An unanswered five-goal scoring spree halted the widening margin as the Stars reduced the deficit to 10.
However, Ameliaranne Ekenasio, also injected in the second half for the Pulse, proved an equally-influential figure. The silky-smooth shooter providing a powerful finishing flourish for the visitors who maintained their 13-goal advantage when leading 50-37 in a drawn third stanza.