Steel maintain winning formula
Continuing their winning momentum and recording a third straight win, the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel produced a clinical outing to account for Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse 54-47 in Invercargill on Saturday.
Playing in front of a buoyant home crowd, the result also ensured the Steel reclaimed the Robyn Broughton Legacy Trophy, which honours the legendary coach, who left a strong legacy across both teams during her decorated career.
Well in control when leading by 12 heading into the last quarter, the Steel showed their renowned southern grit and tenacity to hold off an improving Pulse, but the visitors, despite winning the last stanza, left their run far too late.
After a tight opening and closing, the Steel held all the cards through the middle two quarters where they held the Pulse at arms-length through a stifling defensive effort backed up by accuracy and strong finishing on attack. Denying the Pulse on attack provided numerous opportunities for the Steel of which they took full advantage.
Holding their breath for the closing minutes after losing influential shooter Aliyah Dunn to injury, wasn’t enough to deny a well-deserved win for the southerners.
There were no surprises in either starting line-up, with Renee Savai’inaea, working her way back from injury, and Khanye-Lii Munro-Nonoa, forming the wing and goal defence combination.
For the Pulse, Australian import, Lili Gorman-Brown, got her second start of the campaign to line up at wing attack after also overcoming an early season injury.
Both teams delivered a free-flowing entertaining spectacle in the opening quarter in a goal-for-goal exchange. The Steel had an easier passage to goal in the earlier exchanges with Dunn, notching a 41 from 43 return for the game, providing the space and accuracy.
Once in the groove, the Pulse played in similar fashion while both sets of defences had their moments. Defensive turnovers helped the visitors get back on level terms while the Steel’s in-circle defensive duo of Munro-Nonoa and Carsy Stythe kept the Pulse shooters honest.
It was a buzzer-time goal that gave the Steel a narrow 14-13 lead at the first break.
The impasse continued momentarily on the resumption before the Steel gained the upper hand through their impressive full-court defence. Munro-Nonoa and Stythe were a menacing pairing in creating hesitancy in the Pulse attacking line while leaving the shooters unable to get clean ball.
Captain Kimiora Poi was an influential figure at both ends and through the middle with her devastating speed and nose for an intercept while working effortlessly in tandem with fellow attacker Serina Daunakamakama.
Parris Mason got her hands to some timely turnovers for the Pulse but fast running out of options on attack and with the Steel growing in confidence through court, the home side turned on a slick exhibition on attack.
Losing out in the possession stakes, the Pulse were soon on the back foot, the Steel stamping their credentials at the scoring end through the reliability of Dunn under the hoop to take a handy 28-20 lead into the main break.
Competing on more even terms during most of the third stanza, the Pulse squandered rare opportunities as the relentless Steel showed no signs of slacking off. Co-captains Mason and Ameliaranne Ekenasio were solid toilers for the struggling visitors who were not given any leeway by a focussed, positive and energetic Steel side.
Fed perfectly by the slick pairing of Poi and Daunakamakama, shooters Dunn and Georgia Heffernan held the upper hand in the circle while at the other end, the defensive wall and individual abilities of Stythe, denied the Pulse any flow while adding to their growing frustration. That left the Steel heading into the last break well-placed when leading 45-33.