LIGHTNING STRIKES
Firebirds lose out in thriller
NETBALL: Sunshine Coast captain Geva Mentor talked the talk in the build-up to the Super Netball elimination final against the Queensland Firebirds.
And in yesterday’s nailbiting “Sunshine Shootout”, Mentor and the Lightning walked the walk to move within 60 minutes of the 2018 grand final and claim bragging rights as the best netball team in Queensland.
The Sunshine Coast called on all their championship qualities to withstand a furious Firebirds’ comeback and claim a thrilling 57-56 win at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.
The Lightning led by eight goals in the third term but scores were level with less than six minutes left in the suddendeath derby to set up a grandstand finish.
A long-range shot from Lightning goal attack Steph Wood gave the visitors a twogoal lead in the final minute to ice the game and keep their back-to-back title hopes alive.
The Lightning will play the GWS Giants in Sydney on Sunday in the preliminary final, with the winner to take on the West Coast Fever in the grand final in Perth on August 26.
Mentor set the scene for a tense showdown when she said the Firebirds were “quite rude” for not giving the reigning champions enough respect.
“We really built it up (and) obviously my comments at the beginning of the week meant we really had to come out firing,” Mentor said.
“It was a brutal game out there. Both teams were pretty physical. We knew the Firebirds were going to come home strong at the end.
“But we’re happy with the way the girls hung on. That’s what finals is about, it’s not going to be pretty. It’s about ... just grinding out these wins and making sure when the final whistle goes, you are on the right side of the scoreboard.”
The Lightning looked sharp from the first pass and had stars all over the court in a complete team performance as they led by one goal at quarter-time, four goals at half-time and six goals at the last change.
Steph Wood (20 from 26 shots) and Caitlin Bassett (37/ 39) made the most of their opportunities in the circle while defenders Mentor and Karla Pretorius terrorised Romelda Aiken (37/42) and Gretel Tippett (19/19) with their physicality and pressure.
Mentor said the Lightning were still searching for their “perfect game” and they would need to lift against the Giants.
“There are things we need to address moving into next week because the Giants are a tough team to come up against,” she said. MINOR SEMI-FINAL: Lightning 57 d Firebirds 56: Shooting: Lightning: Caitlin Bassett: 37/39, Steph Wood: 20/26. Firebirds: Romelda Aiken: 37/42, Gretel Tippett: 19/19. MVP: Kelsey Browne