Stars stun Pulse in opener

Trailing the entire game, the Pulse set up a frantic finish cutting the Stars’ lead to 51-48 with five to play. They had their chances in the closing minutes, but couldn’t stop the Stars when it counted.

Down 30-26 at halftime, the Pulse came out firing, cutting into the deficit with a 7-4 burst.

Having struggled to find their attacking connections in the first half, the Pulse showed greater cohesion sending the ball through court.

Defensively, Pulse midcourters Maddy Gordon and Claire Kersten were able to slow the flow of ball into Wilson while also picking up turnover ball as a team.

The Stars were able to absorb any mini runs from the Pulse though and went to the third quarter break wellplaced for a first-up victory, ahead 45-39.

It was some start for the Stars, who silenced the home crowd early, flying out to a 5-1 lead.

The Stars were able to move the ball quickly through Crampton and centre Mila Reuelu-Buchanan and get it smoothly into the hands of shooters Wilson and Jamie Hume.

By the end of the first quarter, the Stars had built a 20-12 lead, just the kind of start coach Kiri Wills would have wanted.

The Pulse would have been disappointed with their through-court defensive pressure, failing to keep the Stars’ feeders off the circle edge.

Wilson put up 16 goals from 17 attempts in the first quarter alone in a dominant display.

After a sloppy first quarter, the Pulse came out strongly, scoring four unanswered goals to start the second term.

The Stars were able to absorb the pressure and led by seven goals late in the first half. A late flourish from the Pulse kept themselves in the fight at the halftime break, trailing by four (30-26).

Next up for the Stars is a clash against title favourites the Tactix at Auckland’s Pulman Arena next Sunday.

The Pulse travel to Hamilton to face Australian goal shoot Caitlin Bassett and the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic on the same day.