The Southern Steel's march towards a second ANZ Championship playoffs appearance took a giant stride forward as it swept aside a frustrating Northern Mystics 50-43 at Trusts Stadium in Waitakere on Monday.
It was a sweet victory after the Auckland-based side beat the Steel 52-49 in Round 8 in Invercargill earlier this year. It also cemented the Southerners place in the top four with one match remaining in the regular season.
For the Mystics, it spelt an end to a season that promised much, but delivered little.
Their final match is against the Tactix in Christchurch.
Both sides began confidently, converting their centre-passes until Mystics goal shooter Cathrine Latu fumbled a pass that saw her opposite, Daneka Wipiiti, put the visitors up by two.
The Steel's defensive pairing of Leana de Brain and Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit was energised, disrupting the home side's passing lanes into the circle at every opportunity.
Mystics goal attack Maria Tutaia misfired one attempt and the inaccurate, adventurous midcourt passing that had let her side down this year again reared its ugly head as the Steel's more conservative approach saw it open up a five-goal advantage, 15-10, at the first break.
The Steel looked more assured in their play, controlling possession and putting up eight more shots than its opponents. Its zone defence also made it difficult for the Mystics to get the ball quickly through court.
Although they staged a second-quarter fight-back, at one stage pulling within two, 14 turnovers - compared with the Steel's six – killed the Mystics' attack.
Southern goal attack Megan Dehn nailed 9-11, but it was her constant availability and the way she feed Wipiiti that was most impressive.
The Mystics closed the gap to 26-22 at halftime, but it was more by chance than good management.
Latu had been stoutly nullified by de Brain in the first spell, netting just nine goals.
Jenny May-Coffin replaced Grace Rasmussen at wing attack and 18-year-old Kayla Cullen sent Silver Fern's wing defence Larissa Wilcox to the bench after the interval.
Chasing the game saw the Mystics self-implode in the third period as they threw away possession, dropped the ball and had little cohesion or understanding of what, or where, their teammates were doing.
The Steel did not have to be fantastic merely sticking to its simple game-plan was enough as it stretched out to an insurmountable 11-goal lead.
That gap closed to 32-40 heading into the final stanza.
A late revival saw the Mystics stage a fight-back, but the Steel held its nerve and were never in any real danger.