Netball: Northern Mystics stun Central Pulse with third quarter onslaught

Pulse's Paris Lokotui takes a pass with Mystics' Tayla Earle during their ANZ Premiership clash. Photosport

The Northern Mystics stunned the Central Pulse last night with an explosive second half performance to earn a 58-47 victory.

The defending champions Pulse looked in control heading into halftime with a 27-23 lead. But the Mystics hit their straps after the break, with a 22-8 third quarter – scoring almost as many goals in 15 minutes as they did in the first 30.

Teenage goal shoot Grace Nweke had one of her best games of the season, taking on more than the lion's share of the Mystics shooting. Showing balance, strength and accuracy under the hoop, she ended the game with 51 from 55 shots at 93 percent.

With a healthy four-goal advantage to the Pulse at halftime, no one could have predicted what would transpire – or in the Pulse's case, unravel - in the next 15 minutes.

From the moment they disrupted the Pulse's first pass-off, it was almost one-way traffic for the Mystics. Playing with a new-found confidence, treasuring the ball and making better choices of when to lob in to Nweke, the visitors went on a scoring rampage.

Centre Tayla Earle was sure and smart with the ball, and Kate Burley and Sulu Fitzpatrick were literally running rings around the Pulse shooters, making it near impossible for the Pulse feeders to find those simple inroads that were there in the first half.

Pulse coach Gail Parata made major changes mid-quarter, when the Mystics went on a six-goal spree. But little could be done to slow the Mystics down and putting themselves in a commanding position, up 45-35 going into the final quarter.

The flow of goals was almost equal in last spell, but the Mystics had wreaked enough havoc to take the victory.

They also gave goal attack Saviour Tui her first court-time of the season, while the hapless Pulse saw Maddy Gordon limp to the bench of the second week in a row.

Fitzpatrick dedicated the team's win to the late Margaret Forsyth who passed away last week.

After four rounds the Mystics remain second on 10 points and the Pulse are fourth on five - the unbeaten Stars lead on 12.