Pulse remain unbeaten Strong second-half showing sinks Steel
The Central Pulse gained a small revenge for last season’s ANZ Premiership grand final loss to the Southern Steel.
They beat the Steel 54-50 at TSB Bank Arena in Wellington last night on the back of a strong second-half performance.
They lost last year’s decider after bottling it in the final quarter, but there would be no repeat of that last night as they turned their slender two-goal lead at the start of the final quarter into a win. Ameliaranne Ekenasio led them in the shooting circle with 34/37.
The Pulse have now beaten all five of their ANZ Premiership foes to sit atop the standings after five rounds.
It didn’t always look like they would get the win, especially after they suffered through a tough opening quarter.
They committed seven turnovers to the Steel’s three to trail 17-11, but of even more concern was when they lost the competition’s most accurate shooter, Aliyah Dunn, to a shoulder injury after a clash with a Steel defender in the circle with two minutes to go in the quarter. She had shot 3/4 at that point. missed at the other end.
The game entered a nervy period through the closing stages of the quarter as both teams were forced into turnovers – 14 combined for the quarter – by each other’s suffocating defence.
The Pulse ended it up 39-37, setting up a thrilling final quarter.
The Steel flinched first, as the returning Potgieter committed a turnover which allowed the Pulse to jump out to a four-goal lead.
The Steel then appeared flummoxed, as the turnovers continued, as well as a crucial miss from Potgieter which allowed the Pulse to pull eight clear, 49-41, with eight minutes to go.
Steel coach Reinga Bloxham made the interesting choice to change goal defence Abby Erwood, who had been playing well until that point, for Courtney Elliot in their defensive circle, while O’Connell was brought back on for Potgieter.
The changes helped bring the Steel back within foul goals by fulltime, but they never looked a realistic winning prospect.