The Canterbury Tactix blew a chance to go top of netball's transtasman league after being swamped by Southern Steel in Christchurch last night.
Players at each end of the Steel court, goal shoot Denaka Wipiiti and goal keep Megan Hutton, were key figures in the battle ofthe south.
The long limbs of Wipiiti were found easily all night against shorter defenders and her shooting radar was locked in.
By contrast, Tactix shooters Jodi Brown and Anna Thompson had a tough time escaping the clutches of Hutton.
In conjuction with Silver Ferns wider squad defender Katrina Grant, the Steel pair forced the less-accurate Thompson to shoot often from distance while Brown lacked rhythm.
The Tactix international midcourt duo of Julie Seymour and Maree Bowden found feeding more taxing than in their impressive opening defeats of the Northern Mystics and New South Wales Swifts.
Following upset losses for Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic and Melbourne Thunderbirds over the weekend, the Tactix's demise means there are no unbeaten teams through the first three weeks of the inaugural competition.
The Tactix and Steel join a swag of teams on two wins and one loss.
Last night was easily the Steel's best performance, following a heavy loss to the Swifts and overtime defeat of Central Pulse.
Hutton set the tone from the outset with an assertive attitude which was too much at one point for umpire Pauline Sciascia, who asked the powerful defender to stand off court for one goal following some over-vigorous play in the first quarter.
Wipiiti had a field day against shorter goal keep Victoria Smith, collecting the rebound on the few shots she missed.
Australian goal defence Demelza Fellowes and her second-half replacement Bessie Manu weren't quick enough to match inventive Steel goal attack Megan Dehn and centre Liana Barrett-Chase.
The Steel led 14-12 after the first quarter and 27-22 at halftime as their pressure gradually told. The third quarter was their best, taking a 40-31 advantage into the last stanza.
* In Brisbane last night, Central Pulse went down 56-28 to the Queensland Firebirds. The Pulse still remain winless in the competition.
