Supplied
Grace Nweke shooting stats were her usual outstanding numbers but for much of the match the Mystics couldn’t feed her with their usual accuracy.
At Te Rauparaha Arena, Porirua: Mystics 56 (Grace Nweke 45/48, Monica Falkner 11/12) Pulse 51 (Amelia Walmsley 27/34, Tiana Metuarau 17/18, Joyce Mvula 7/7) 1Q: 13-12, HT: 24-29, 3Q: 40-38.
Spare a thought for the Central Pulse.
The defending ANZ Premiership champions have suffered a third successive heartbreaking defeat, this time going down 56–51 to the table-topping Mystics.
The Pulse, backing up from a 48-47 loss to the Magic 24 hours earlier and another one-point loss to the Tactix in round four, have been run down in the final quarter by the Mystics in Porirua on Monday night.
Without Silver Ferns star Sulu Fitzpatrick due to a knee injury, the Mystics were out of sorts for most of the match but finally hit top gear when it mattered most.
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The Mystics held a one-goal lead at the first break but across the first three quarters, the Pulse turned on arguably their best 45 minutes of the 2023 season, only for it to come unstuck as the Mystics finally found their magic in the dying minutes.
Maddy Gordon’s deception was a key to the Pulse’s first-half success with several perfect feeds into goal shoot Amelia Walmsley that caught the Mystics defenders going in the opposite direction.
Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.
Carys Stythe was outstanding for the Northern Mystics on Monday night.
At the other end of the court, the Mystics seemed clunky in the opening half rather than the usual well-oiled machine that finds Grace Nweke with ease.
Tiana Metuarau’s lengthy shot right on half-time stretched the Pulse lead to 29-24 at the break on the back of a 17-11 second quarter.
Goal attack Metuarau went to half-time at a perfect 14-14 as the Pulse scored seven of the final 10 goals in the second quarter, and she was a standout right to the end in a beaten side.
On the back of some strong defensive work from goal keep Carys Stythe and wing attack Elisapeta Toeava, the Mystics worked their way back into the game in a third quarter that went their way 14-11 to close the Pulse’s lead to two at the final break, at 40-38.
Former Silver Ferns captain Katrina Rore was given a massive reception by the Porirua crowd when she made a fourth-quarter cameo for the Pulse but was unable to lift the home side to victory.
Best on court
No shortage of candidates from both sides here. Gordon and Metuarau were outstanding in a beaten team but it’s hard to go past what might just have been a breakout game for Stythe. Some crucial defensive touches and rebounds in the final quarter made all the difference for the Mystics.
The big moment
Amelia Walmsley being called for stepping, under immense pressure from Stythe, with four and a half minutes remaining and just as she was about to lock the scores up at 49-49 was a cruel blow. Nweke then made it 50-48 and then, off the centre pass, 51-48 and the Mystics never looked back.
Match rating: 8/10
When the underdogs take it to the table toppers it’s always an entertaining clash. Even if it was a little hard to watch the Pulse come unstuck in the final quarter after doing so much right, from a pure entertainment perspective, this match did not disappoint.
The big picture
A second loss in as many days for the Pulse means the defending champions will be desperate to upset the Stars on Saturday in what will mark the halfway point of the regular season. Monday night’s loss means the Pulse now holds a record of 2-4.
The Mystics, the only team in the comp with five wins, are now clear at the top of the table and will have a golden opportunity to solidify that position when they travel to take on Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic in Sunday’s early match.
