Hot Jets fire to end Titans’ unbeaten run

Off the back of an expected loss to the Carina Leagues Club Tigers in round six of the HART Sapphire Series, the TAE Aerospace Jets came out firing to dethrone an undefeated Gold Coast Titans Sapphire side in round seven.

The Nissan Arena showdown took place on court one, with Titans coming into the match as clear favourites.

But tenacity and determination set Jets apart as they gradually extended their lead and won 65-49.

Head coach Paula Stuart believes the loss to Tigers last week gave her girls a push to do better. “I think that not playing to our expectations last week meant we had a bit of a point to prove, and the point to prove was more to ourselves than anyone else,” Stuart said.

“We wanted to make sure after having a look at what happened last week that our mindset was right.

“We worked through that as a team which was good.”

The first quarter featured a tight battle down the court with only one goal separating the teams after 15 minutes of intense play.

A second quarter push from the Ipswich side is what made all the difference however, as they gained a 12-point lead over Titans going into the second half.

Captain Hulita Veve was a star as usual for the Jets, and her leadership on and off the court seemed to be working magic.“Hulita is the one that leads players not just on the court but off the court as well,” Stuart said. “She just brings an extra vibe … a great team member to have in your team.”

Titans scrambled to make a comeback in the third quarter but to no avail as Jets held onto their lead.

It was a messy final 15 minutes, with Titans turning over 50 balls but being unable to convert.

Stuart was unimpressed with Jets’ final quarter of play but is already prepping for their round eight clash against the Bond University Bull Sharks.

“We’ll go back to the drawing board,” she said.

“It is a new game, second half of the season.

“We’ll have a look at what worked well with the Bull Sharks early the earlier round since they have improved a lot and matured on court.”

Danielle Taylor and Lily Gribble watched from the sidelines, injured and unlikely to return for next week.