The Steel celebrate. Photo: Marty Melville/Photosport
How does a team go from losing by 25 goals to then beating the same opponent three weeks later?
That's just what the Southern Steel did in Wellington on Monday night when they pipped the Pulse 58-57 to consign them to their third straight ANZ Premiership loss.
There's just one spot in the finals series up for grabs with the Tactix and Mystics having already sewn up two.
The Pulse and Steel, who have moved to fourth on the ladder, are well and truly in a race for that spot, with just three rounds left.
Three weeks ago the Pulse were flying high after pulling off a 70-45 demolition job on the Steel in Invercargill.
The Pulse then had losses to the Mystics and Tactix and knew they needed a win at home to get their season back on track.
It looked like they were going to do just that when they led by nine going into the final quarter but the Steel, knowing their season was on the line, never gave up.
They were starting to chip into the Pulse lead when wing defence Renee Savai'inaea was suspended for two minutes for a dangerous contact, with eight minutes left.
Despite being down a player the Steel came through that period extremely well.
Steel coach Wendy Frew said she was proud of the way her players responded in those moments.
"We gave messages to the girls to just slow it down and we don't need to score quick, the girls really took it on board and Kimi [Kimiora Poi] and Kate [Heffernan] just showed massive leadership in those two minutes and just giving them clear messages of what we wanted when Renee went back on. Just proud of what they put out there, they got key messages and they executed it so well," Frew said.
The Pulse made a couple of costly turnovers under immense defensive pressure and the Steel were calm with ball in hand.
Pulse's Parris Mason (L) with Steel's Georgia Heffernan. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Steel goal attack Georgia Heffernan nailed a super shot with two minutes left to get her side within one of the Pulse.
Tiana Metuarau then attempted a two-point shot for the Pulse but missed and the ball went into Steel hands and they scored off it.
It was then the Steel's centre pass and Aliyah Dunn scored the final goal after the visitors ran down the clock brilliantly.
Frew said her players stood up in the pressure cooker environment.
"The girls just showed really big composure in those dying couple of minutes and we had that belief in our group. At the time-outs we looked at each other in the eye and we just felt like we had that belief and we just made really clinical decisions on attack.
"Our leaders really stepped up in those crucial moments and everyone just played their own game and went about their own business really well."
Frew was full of praise for Georgia Heffernan, who earnt MVP honours.
"She worked so hard for that 60 minutes, she's grown every game for us, great performance from her but in saying that it was a massive team effort, everybody on that court contribute so well."
The Pulse will be bitterly disappointed after leading for nearly the entirety of the game.
The Pulse led 16-14 after the first quarter and you could tell that the message was to get more ball to shooter Amelia Walmsley.
Walmsley was coming off two successive 100 percent shooting games.
There were several long silky feeds into Walmsley and it looked like the Pulse had their mojo back with the likes of Kelly Jackson getting signature intercepts, and Maddy Gordon connecting well on attack and defence.
Carys Stythe marked Walmsley for most of the game and it was a fascinating battle between the two up-and-comers.
Parris Mason (R) and Pulse captain Kelly Jackson (L) with Steel's Georgia Heffernan in the middle. Photo: Marty Melville
Stythe had her moments and Frew mixed up the defensive end a few times, which saw Abby Lawson inject a real presence.
"I thought at times Carys had the edge and then at times Amelia did, it was a bit of back and forth but Carys is really performing every week for us and getting us some crucial balls and she really lifts the team.
"I think her growth down with us this year has been massive and every game she's taking that next step up.
"Abby did really well, she's worked hard on minimising contacts so she mixed it up, at times she was on Tiana and other times she pulled off the body. As a defensive unit we worked really hard, we needed fresh legs in a game like that and I thought we used that bench really well."
The Pulse had their best quarter in the third term to lead 50-41 going into the final 15 minutes.
Frew knew the game against the Pulse was going to be season-defining.
"It was really important to keep our hopes alive for the top three. We know we're a quality side but at times we just haven't executed it so put that performance out against a really strong Pulse team, it does set us up nicely when we host the Magic next week.
"We need to build confidence from this, there's still things to work on and make sure we come out stronger."
Silver Fern midcourter Kate Hefferan was crucial in the 48 minutes she was on court, as she works her way back from injury.
The Pulse will have some soul searching to do.
There was an over reliance on Walmsley, who scored 49 from 53, with goal attack Metuarau shooting 7 from 9.
It was in complete contrast to the Steel with a spread of goals between Dunn with 32 and Heffernan 24.
The Steel and Pulse both have 10 points after seven rounds but the Pulse still sit third on the table courtesy of a superior goal percentage.
The Tactix and Mystics have guaranteed themselves a place in the Finals Series with 19 and 18 points respectively.
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