KEY POINTS:
The Otago Rebels grabbed a hard-fought 47-42 win over the Shakers in Wellington today in the National Bank Cup netball championship today.
With the victory, the Rebels joined the Magic, the Force and the Flames as first round winners.
Well in control and leading by 10 at halftime, the Rebels went off the boil in the second half as the Shakers staged a stirring comeback.
Scoring nine unanswered goals in the third quarter, the home team narrowed the difference to just two goals as the teams battled neck and neck down the home straight.
"I think we went to sleep, we didn't react well to all the (injury) breaks in the third quarter and just didn't come out firing," Rebels coach Janine Southby said.
The experience of shooters Jodi Te Huna, playing her first full match for over a year after coming back from injury, and former Silver Fern, Angela Mitchell, proved a deciding factor with their poise and accuracy allowing the Rebels to sneak home in the final few minutes.
It was a plucky effort from the Shakers, who deservedly snatched a bonus point for their efforts.
Making her debut, Wellington, shooter Sala Hide, 19, was the busiest shooter on court and impressed with her calmness and accuracy in the face of some close attention from lofty Australian defender Demelza Fellowes.
The Flames and Force could be well satisfied with their first round wins over more fancied rivals.
The Flames wiped out a strong start by the Diamonds to run out comfortable 53-46 winners.
A four-goal advantage to the Diamonds after the first quarter quickly evaporated as the Flames regrouped to dominate all facets of the game for the rest of the game in Christchurch.
Goal attack Jade Topia excelled under the hoop with a fine shooting display while goal defence Jodi Tod pulled off a game-high nine intercepts.
"It was awesome, a great team effort," Flames coach Margaret Foster said.
Silver Ferns squad shooters Maria Tutaia and Paula Griffin showed pinpoint accuracy in the opening 15 minutes with the pair missing just the one shot but the Diamonds control as a team fell away under a more cohesive and robust challenge from the rebounding Flames.
An under-strength Force turned their fortunes around in the second half to record a rare 51-46 upset win over the Sting in Invercargill.
Trailing 22-25 at halftime and missing defenders Lorna Suafoa and Sheryl Scanlan for the match, the Force rallied with a compelling second stanza to forge ahead and shut the six-time winners out of contention.
After gaining a handy lead in the first half, changes to the Sting line-up in a telling third quarter proved their undoing.
The Force were boosted by the consistent shooting of Australian import Megan Dehn and the towering Catherine Latu.
Spearheaded by a lively performance from captain Temepara George through the midcourt, the Force surged to a six-goal advantage at three-quarter time from which the Sting never recovered.
Defending champions Magic were untroubled in the opening match of the new season, with a convincing 74-28 win over the Flyers.
Former Silver Ferns captain Anna Stanley marked her return to elite netball after the birth of her first child in November with a standout performance at wing attack for her new franchise.
Shooter Irene van Dyk was a pivotal performer for the Magic with a match return of 65 goals from 70 attempts.
- NZPA
