West Coast Fever 50
Southern Steel 47
Southern Steel's wait for an historic win in Australia continues after the trans-Tasman netball league's most prolific scorer guided West Coast Fever to a tense 50-47 victory in Perth today.
Caitlin Bassett was in superb form at Challenge Stadium, missing just two of 41 attempts as the Fever atoned for
their heavy loss to New South Wales Swifts this week by extending the Steel's losing sequence in Australia to double figures.
Goal shoot Bassett was at the forefront as the Fever overcame an eight-goal deficit early in the second term to snatch a 29-26 lead at the main break, a psychological blow the New Zealanders could not recover from.
The Steel shaded the home side 12-11 in the third quarter but as the pressure went on down the stretch Bassett and goal attack Leah Shoard conjured up the last three goals to end a 47-47 deadlock.
Silver Ferns defender Leana de Bruin did her utmost to stymie Bassett during a frantic final quarter and despite her snaring several intercepts the Fever managed to regroup and re-establish the supply line to their scoring machine.
Daneka Wipiiti led the Steel with 31 from 39 while former Silver Fern Jodi Brown, with nine from 11, was introduced by coach Robyn Broughton in the third quarter for Paula Griffin, marking her comeback to top flight netball just seven weeks after giving birth to daughter Aria.
Initial goal attack Paula Griffin, with seven from nine, and Wipiiti were dominant early on against the defensive duo of English international Ama Agbeze and Josie Janz, a surprise starter at goal keep ahead of Australian test star Susan Furhmann.
Janz struggled to combat Wipiiti's height advantage although she improved markedly and appeared unlucky to make way for Furhmann with five minutes remaining in the third quarter.
By then the Fever's recovery was well underway as the side bore little resemblance to line-up thrashed by 21 goals by the Swifts.
The Steel could not maintain their accuracy after forging a 21-13 lead midway through the second quarter.
Having lost midcourt dynamo Madison Brown to the Vixens in the off-season the Fever were expected to struggle in the middle third against former Australian import Natasha Chokljat and Silver Fern Liana Leota but Shae Bolton, Sarah Ebbott and Andrea Gilmore were up to the task.
The sixth-placed Steel now make the long trek back to Invercargill where they host defending champions Adelaide Thunderbirds on March 28.
The Fever host Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic later that same day.
West Coast Fever 50 (Caitlin Bassett 39/41, Leah Shoard 11/16) Southern Steel 47 (Daneka Wipiiti 31/39, Jodi Brown 9/11, Paula Griffin 7/9). Halftime: 29-26.
- NZPA