Ekenasio steps up for Silver Ferns
The Silver Ferns have set up a winner-takes-all showdown in Perth next Sunday after pipping the Australian Diamonds 54-53 in the third Constellation Cup test in Sydney yesterday.
It almost seemed as if neither side wanted to win the contest down the stretch, as they both coughed up possession during an error-ridden passage of play where two minutes passed without a goal.
Ferns shooter Ameliaranne Ekenasio kept her cool under pressure for the second time in the series, scoring first to break the deadlock with 80 seconds to play, then again with 20 seconds on the clock to give her side the decisive lead.
Captain Laura Langman followed the winner up with an intercept to seal the result and give the Ferns a 2-1 lead in the four-test series, which means they are a win away from claiming the Constellation Cup for the first time since 2012.
The Diamonds made a frenetic start, winning the ball off the Ferns with ease on several occasions to open up an 8-2 lead after just five minutes.
Then came the first of the responses, as the Ferns closed the gap to three points with the end of the first quarter approaching.
The Diamonds pulled away again as the second quarter began, extending their lead to six, but the Ferns rallied once more, going on a 5-0 run of their own to reduce the margin to one.
Caitlin Bassett then netted three times in the space of 60 seconds, and the buffer was back to four at halftime, with the Diamonds ahead 30-26.
Ekenasio and Maria Folau were having strong games, and they scored three goals in a row to begin the third quarter as the Ferns closed within one for the second time.
The Silver Ferns then went on a 9-1 run to take a three-goal lead, their first of the match, early in the third quarter.
Caitlin Thwaites scored backto-back goals for Australia to level the scores midway through the period. The two teams went goal-for-goal from there to the final 30 seconds of the quarter, the Diamonds up 43-42 going into the final 15 minutes.
A miss from Philip opened the door for the Ferns to hit back, but while Ekenasio made no mistake with her shot, Folau blew the chance for them to go ahead – only to be spared when the Diamonds threw the ball away down the other end.
Eventually, it was Ekenasio who brought a halt to the run of errors, sealing the one-goal win just as she did in the opener.