The Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel snapped the giant-killing run of the Northern Stars with ruthless efficiency when posting an 82-58 win in Invercargill on Sunday.
Believing they have still got more to work on is a scary thought for future Steel opponents, the southerners producing another clinical performance to chalk up an 11th straight win.
To their credit, the Stars, coming off back-to-back wins, delivered a competitive second half but by then the damage had been well and truly done, the southerners producing an average of 20 goals a quarter for the second straight match in another high-scoring spectacle.
It did not take long for the league’s best team to flex their muscle against the most-improved team, the Steel scoring the first four goals to set the tone for the remainder of the match.
Picking up from where they left off against the hapless Central Pulse four days ago, the Steel were quickly in the groove back on their home court. The speed and accuracy of their through-court transition was a highlight but well-supported across all other facets of play.
The midcourt pairing of Shannon Francois and Gina Crampton provided an impeccable supply of ball to irrepressible shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Reid while at the other end in-form defender Jane Watson did her bit in helping the home team power out to a 24-14 lead at the first break.
It was more of the same on the resumption, the Stars holding their own initially with wing attack Emma Iversen prominent in getting more ball to the accurate Maia Wilson under the hoop.
But with inspiring Stars skipper Leana de Bruin not returning to the court after suffering an ankle injury and the Steel’s relentless onslaught showing little sigh of abating, the visitors eventually buckled under the sustained pressure.
The result was a scoreline which continued to push out, the Steel rolling into halftime with a commanding 48-25 lead and the outcome of the match decided.
With a lift in defensive pressure and the continued strong form of Iversen and Wilson, the Stars delivered their best 15 minutes of the game during the third stanza.
Undeterred by the enormity of the task at hand, an impressive attitude to keep chipping away helped the visitors gain a minor victory when they out-scored the Steel by two goals. The home team coughed up a number of uncharacteristic turnovers but with Watson shining on defence, the Steel were in no danger, heading into the last break well in control at 64-43.
Official Result and Stats:
Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel 82 def Northern Stars 58
Champion Data Match Centre: click here
Shooting Stats – Steel:
Fowler-Reid: 56/59 @ 95%
Selby-Rickit: 25/29 @ 86%
O’Connell: 1/3 @ 33%
Shooting Stats – Stars:
Wilson: 42/46 @ 91%
Rusivakula: 3/5 @ 60%
Vaka: 13/19 @ 68%
MVP: Jane Watson (Steel)