Steel prevail in tight finish to overcome Fever

ROBYN EDIE/Southland Times

MY BALL: Steel goal attack Megan Dehn takes the ball while Fever goal defence Johannah Curran looks on.

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There were plenty of gnawed fingernails at Stadium Southland last night as Southern Steel left it late to beat the West Coast Fever 46-44 in their ANZ Championship opener.

Early into the final quarter, it appeared as if the Fever were going to pull off a big upset with the Perth-based outfit leading Steel 39-34.

With shooter Caitlin Bassett in impeccable form in the shooting circle for the Fever and the speedy midcourt duo of Madison Browne and Shae Bolton running Steel ragged in the middle of the court, there were some anxious looks in the 2800-strong Stadium Southland crowd.

Steel upped their game considerably during the closing stages, though, with Leana de Bruin and Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit causing Fever problems in the defensive circle.

The southerners went on a 6-1 run to lock the scores up at 39-all.

A key moment came late in the game, with Fever holding a 42-41 lead when Bassett was called for stepping. Daneka Wipiiti slotted back-to-back goals to put Steel in front. The two sides fought hammer and tongs in the dying moments, but Steel held their composure to get their ANZ Championship campaign off to a winning start.

Steel coach Robyn Broughton was thrilled with the way her side got up in the final quarter and singled out the efforts of circle defenders Selby-Rickit and de Bruin.

"Our Ds picked up some good ball. Hu (Te Huinga Selby-Rickit) got a couple of really good turnovers towards the end," she said.

Steel held a 24-20 lead at halftime, but went off the boil badly in the third quarter of the game, with sloppy mistakes creeping into their game and the Fever causing problems right through the court.

Broughton believed her team panicked at times and said there was plenty to work on ahead of next week's match against the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic in Rotorua.

"I thought we gave it away badly in attack in our first three quarters.

"We'd get up by three, then we'd lose it. You've got to learn be patient and take your time.

"The good thing, though, is they came out of it on top."

Fever captain Johannah Curran thought the game was theirs forthe taking, but her side let themselves down at times in the fourth quarter.

"We pride ourselves on our ability to run out a game. We were kind of relying on that in the last quarter of the game, but unfortunately it didn't come off today," she said.

Steel suffered a blow right on fulltime, with shooter Daneka Wipiiti injuring her left knee after a heavy tumble when contesting for the ball with Fever goal keep Susan Fuhrmann.

She was being monitored last night by Steels' medical staff, but had not been taken to the hospital for X-rays.

FINAL WHISTLE

Southern Steel 46 (Daneka Wipiiti 28/33, Megan Dehn 18/22), West Coast Fever 44 (Caitlin Bassett 34/35, Leah Shoard 10/15).

Halftime: 24-20.Quarter scores (Steel first): 12-11, 24-20, 32-35, 46-44.

Shooting stats: Southern Steel: Daneka Wipiiti, 28/33 (85 per cent), Megan Dehn 18/22 (82 per cent).West Coast Fever: Caitlin Bassett 34/35 (97 per cent, Leah Shoard 10/15 (67 per cent)

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