She says HB Netball administrator Helga Lewis was at the game and will attest to how NGHS played or how Otane could have.
Otane's excuses can range from not playing for more than two weeks because of the school holiday to not having some starting players on a night that is for training.
"Again they aren't excuses for us because we should be able to put our 12 players out on the court," she says, adding her players couldn't snap out of what felt like a training night last Wednesday.
"There was no motivation from the girls and even our warm up was terrible because we were dropping the ball so there was just no inspiration and no hungriness fom us.
"I kind of knew we were going to go into the game kind of flat," says Kupa, revealing Super 8 debutantes NGHS grew in confidence every quarter.
It didn't help that goal shoot Kelsey McPhee came off with a twisted ankle.
However, Kupa isn't under any illusions that speculation is rife that Otane "threw the game".
"I'd love to use that as an excuse but that really wasn't the case."
Co-coach Jewels Falcon read the riot act on Otane in training on Wednesday, impressing the need "to get their heads back into the competitive" mode.
All In Elusive coach Charissa Barham agrees a talented NGHS are in a bullish position but she is quick to heed advice from Tammy Kupa earlier this winter that she should focus on her own game although Barham's mind has been on picking the NZ Secondary School team as assistant coach.
All In boast a superior goal difference to everyone, bar Otane.
Defending champions Outkast Optimise Physio will feel the pinch most as they face Otane tonight, although the prudent will argue if they succumbed to NGHS then why not more seasoned campaigners.
NGHS should leapfrog to third place, assuming All In stumble to second-placed Hastings High School Old Girls (HHSOG) Proactive Huias who regained promotion to Super 8, at the expense of Havelock North House of Travel Kauri, after the abbreviated four-round shield preamble to the season.
That's because the schoolgirls play winless, last-placed HHSOG Spicers Keas whose offense is the poorest (201) and whose defence seems perforated (324), three goals superior to Hastings Girls' High School Senior A sitting above them on a maiden win last Friday.
But, if statistics are anything to go by, one-loss Huias shouldn't feel any more gungho about their chances of retaining their perch tonight.
In many respects, all of the above simply adds to a fascinating and dream build up to the playoffs.
"At this stage of the season you want to keep persevering on your game structures and game plan which will take you through because you don't want to make any outright changes or have panic attacks so it's just about coming back to your processes to keep improving those structures," says Barham.
It won't be lost on anyone that there are no second chances after tonight to seek glory.
"All it takes is for Outkast to beat Otane and that'll leave everyone on 20 points and everyone will be all over the place," she says.
Ironically for All In is the daunting prospect of facing Otane in the semifinals should they come up shy against Huias tonight.
"You know, at the end of the day if you start focusing on outcomes then you'll start having little brain farts on court and you don't want to be having those."
Barham notes, like other teams have in the championship round, All In will be facing Huias for the first time.
"It's been really weird. We should be playing Otane now because we're first-second, like on a traditional tournament, but I don't know what's happened.
"Because we played Otane and Outkast earlier, now we're playing Huias who have come in from the bottom so that's weird but it is what it is in a competition."
She'll have to kill anyone she divulges the blueprint to but Barham reveals massaging their defensive systems has been an ongoing process this winter.
Perhaps All In goalkeep Sonee-Lee Waerea's tendency to forage for possession in the centre third offers a glimpse of that urgency.
"If the umpires had picked it up I don't know," says Barham with a chuckle.
That is not to suggest All In are neglecting their coalface as they look to provide options to channel the ball into the shooting circle at the height of awareness of each other, something that can't be taken for granted amid youthful presence.
"You know, it's time for them to connect and they started showing elements of that last week with some promising patches."
She alludes to not adhering to the former Silver Ferns' edict of "playing like the Aussies".
"Why should we because we have our own style but you've got to define that first."
Barham is mindful Huias know how to put up the shutters with the towering presence of Raewyn Parahi and Catrina O'Connell but, again, it'll boil down to All In trusting their own mantra.
Huias coach Rebecca Martin echoes Barham's sentiments that tonight's result will decide whether they finish anywhere from first to fourth.
"Huias are always in control of their own destiny so as long as we keep winning we'll be fine," says Martin, disclosing All In beat Huias by four goals in a grading game.
Ask her what she thinks of speculation on Otane's loss, she replies: "There's always a story out there, isn't there?"
TONIGHT'S GAMES
From rd 7 and the final pool play at the Pettigrew-Green Arena, Taradale:
■ 6.15pm: HHSOG Spicers Keas v NGHS Senior A PGA 1.
Umpires: A Williams & T Gardiner.
■ 6.15pm: HHSOG Proactive Huias v All In Elusive PGA 2.
Umpires: K Jones & H Lewis.
■ 7.45pm: Otane Thirsty Whale v Outkast Optimise Physio PGA 2.
Umpires: K Ives & N Corbett.
■ 7.45pm: Central Sports Vet Services HB v HGHS Senior A PGA 1.
Umpires: J Varcoe & N Walker.
Reserve officials, 6.15pm: Court 1 N Corbett. Court 2 K Ives. 7.45: Court 1 K Jones/H Lewis. Court 2 T Gardiner.
Standings (GF/GA/Pts): Otane320/211, 20pts; Huias 268/239, 20; All In 297/236, 16; Outkast 233/196, 16; NGHS 246/224, 13; Central 255/287, 8; HGHS 224/327, 4; Keas201/324, 0.
