The Pulse were outplayed by the Firebirds at Te Rauparaha Arena as the visitors were able to shut down goal shoot Irene van Dyk (19/22). The home side also hurt themselves by regularly turning the ball over.
Despite having plenty of experience on their roster, at times, the Pulse resembled a side who had just met at the local courts for a casual game, which surprised Grant.
"We trained really, really well this week," she said. "Just getting physical on each other, knowing what we were coming up against. We just couldn't quite do it. That fourth quarter ruined us a wee bit."
As the game entered the final stanza the Pulse were only down by two goals but their mounting turnover count proved too much to overcome.
They also struggled to contain the shooting of Romelda Aiken (37/45). Grant and her defensive partner Ama Agbeze were never going to jump higher than the 1.96m Jamaican but the Pulse were unable to shut down the steady flow of ball Aiken received from the mid-court.
Under the new conference system, there's a greater importance on beating teams in your own country, given three teams from each side of the Tasman make the playoffs.
"Hopefully we just beat all the New Zealand teams," Grant said.
That can start from next week when the Pulse travel to Christchurch to meet the Tactix in a battle of two sides who are yet to register a victory in 2015.
"We need to start winning and it has to start next week," Grant said. "It's going to be really tough ... They seem to be a team that likes to upset us."
Queensland Firebirds 52 (Romelda Aiken 37/45, Amy Wild 15/20) Central Pulse 46 (Jodi Brown 27/37, Irene van Dyk 19/22) 1Q: 13-12, halftime: 23-21, 3Q: 36-34
