Canterbury's Flames grabbed a temporary lead in the National Bank Cup after demolishing the Capital Shakers 48-26 in Christchurch last night.
At times clinical in their execution, the home team led at the quarter breaks 14-5, 28-11 and 39-19.
But coach Margaret Foster felt the play was pretty ugly at times from
both sides.
"The Shakers didn't offer us much structure. It was very hard to play, they were quite unorthodox."
She said the Flames' game plan was not working, so as coach offered a simple instruction at halftime: "Anything goes -- just pass to colour black, someone in our team."
Foster started with the same lineup that went right through the Northern Force game five days earlier with Jodi Te Huna and Belinda Colling in the attacking circle, Maree Grubb, Julie Seymour and Tasha Marshall in the midcourt, and Peta Stephens and Vilimaina Davu on defence.
The Flames kept the opposition below 30 goals for the second time in three games.
Foster was very pleased with the shooting of Te Huna (86 per cent), and the fact that goal-keep Davu was "back on her game" pulling in rebound after rebound while her defence partner Stephens showed a lot of improvement.
The Flames were already 17 ahead at halftime, at one stage scoring eight unanswered goals.
The spelling of goal-attack Belinda Colling at halftime after 122 consecutive quarters for the Flames had not been pre-planned, Foster feeling she needed a break with big games coming up against the Southern Sting and Magic.
Player of the match Julie Seymour controlled the midcourt superbly.
"She really passed and cut, her fitness is just so superior," Foster said.
The Shakers were dominated in all areas of court and captain and goal-keep Megan Hutton looked increasingly frustrated as the game went along.
Goal-shoot Katie Ritchie tried her best, but was allowed only 18 shots in the first three quarters as Davu dominated the rebounding.
Shooting stats:
Flames: Jodi Te Huna 25/29, Belinda Colling 11/15, Chantelle Ngaia 12/15
Shakers: Katie Ritchie 19/27, Evelina Fa'amausili 0/1, Jo Brown 7/11
- NZPA
