Amorangi Malesala of the Stars. Photo / Photosport
Northern Mystics 77
Northern Stars 79
The Northern Stars forced their way back into playoff contention by beating the league-leading Northern Mystics last night in the first ANZ Premiership match to ever go to additional extra time.
The scores were level at 67-67 after four quarters and 74-74 after two three-minute periods of extra time at Waitakere’s Trusts Stadium.
The game then had to continue until one side held a two-goal lead, which the Stars achieved after a further 4m 33s of play.
Goal attack Amorangi Malesala starred for the Stars late in the game, nailing several long-range shots, including equalisers in the dying seconds of the fourth quarter and first extra time period, and the winning goal in additional extra time.
After losing four of their previous six matches, last night’s victory lifted the Stars to within a point of the top-three playoff spots, although they have played one game more than
the third-placed Pulse and two more than the second-placed Tactix. The Mystics remain top of the table on 24 points, four ahead of the Stars.
The lead switched back and forth with dizzying regularity, and for the first time this season, the two-goal lead rule determined the winner.
There was nothing between the two sides throughout the entire final four periods of play. Neither side gave up an errant pass or a missed shot.
A midcourt steal from Malesala at 77-77 saw the jubilant Stars finally make a winning break.
The loss was the Mystics’ third of the season and their off-court woes continue, with Michaela Sokolich-Beatson missing with a stomach bug and Monica Falkner sidelined for a second straight match.
The Stars started with a punch, a tip from Kelera Nawai-Caucau quickly setting the rhythm which saw them rush out to a three-lead which then turned into a five-goal run.
The vision of Mila Reuelu-Buchanan and Gina Crampton into Maia Wilson, who freed herself from the rangy Mystics defenders, had the Stars up 11-4.
The Mystics weren’t thrown by the growing gap, with an intercept from Katie Te Ao — playing at wing defence in place of Sokolich-Beatson — bringing the home side back into the game.
With Australian Claire O’Brien releasing quick bullet passes into Grace Nweke, the Mystics’ confidence lifted and the gap reduced to two in the last minute.
Up 19-16 at the first break, the Stars struggled to find their shooters under pressure from the Mystics midcourt, and they took the lead for the first time, 22-20.
There was still little in it, as the advantage swung back to the Stars — Elle Temu showing no effects of the ankle injury that sidelined her earlier in the competition.
The teams went goal for goal for much of the quarter, until Phoenix Karaka’s dogged defence turned the game back in the Mystics’ favour.
Peta Toeava used her full repertoire of quick, flat no-look passes mixed with long bombs into Nweke, and with the goal shoot looking more confident than the day before, the Mystics led 37-35, at halftime.
With the same number of attempts and almost identical accuracy, little separated the two sides, but the Mystics appeared to be taking control early in the third quarter.
The Stars made an important change, bringing goal attack Jamie Hume into the game for Malesala when the Mystics were four up. And two smart steals from Carys Stythe, taking advantage of the new shooting combo settling in, extended their lead to seven. But the Stars lifted their defensive pressure through the court, forcing the Mystics into soft turnovers, and closing the gap to 52-51 just before the end of the quarter.
The Mystics brought Tayla Earle — back from a foot injury — into centre for the final spell. The teams were locked for the next 14 minutes, with few errors from either side.
At opposite ends, Wilson and Malesala (back in the game) and Nweke and Filda Vui held their nerve under the hoop.
At 67-66 to the Mystics with half a minute left, the Stars played the ball in and out of the circle until Malesala sunk the equaliser, sending the game into extra time for only the second time this season.
It was up to the Mystics to kill time with less than a minute left, but Nweke, who finished the game with a mammoth 70 goals from 75 attempts, missed a penalty right on the whistle to end extra time at 74-74. Instead, it was Malesala, shooting a commendable 27 from 32, who would score the decisive goals, many from long range.
Northern Mystics 77 (Grace Nweke 70/75, Filda Vui 7/11)
Northern Stars 79 (Maia Wilson 50/54, Amorangi Malesala 27/32, Jamie Hume 2/3)