West Coast Fever Get Travelling Blues
In a game stained by the highest penalty count in the competition’s history, the Mystics proved too strong for the travelling West Coast Fever, winning 52-45.
Fever coach Norma Plummer’s pre-game directive to her side was to move the ball and move it quickly, but they struggled to heed her instruction in the first quarter. Uncertain hands and uncontrolled play by the Fever allowed the Mystics to steal a 6-0 lead; in fact, it was six minutes before the Fever scored their first goal of the night.
New Zealand under-21 defender Jessica Moulds responded positively to her selection at goal keep to combat the height of Fever goal shoot Caitlin Bassett (WAIS), keeping the Fever attack in check in combination with Harrison.
The Mystics began with a blaze of dynamism – the understanding between shooters Cathrine Latu and Maria Tutaia finely tuned. But midway through the quarter, the Mystics became a little over-enthusiastic in their passing and the Fever closed the gap to two.
Leading 12-8 at the first break, the Mystics repeated their furious start, adding three more goals before the Fever could reply, and steadily stretching out to a 10-goal advantage.
The battle between Temepara George and Ashleigh Brazill was intense, but the greater experience of the Mystics captain was telling.
Harrison and Moulds continued to disrupt the Fever’s confidence and cohesion, and with the double whammy of high penalty and turnover counts, the visitors could not get a foothold in the game. Nevertheless, Bassett was still on-song around the circle, missing only one of her 15 shots at goal – a record she would maintain throughout the match.
With the scores 25-17 at halftime, both coaches remained loyal to their starting seven. Guilty of making “junior mistakes” – in the no-nonsense words of Plummer – the Fever picked up their game in the third spell, with their midcourt defence led by wing defence and WAIS athlete Andrea Gilmore robbing the Mystics of any ill-directed ball.
The home side’s wish for tidier, more patient play was not realised in the third quarter and with the score 36-32 at the final break, the Fever were realistically still in with a chance in the last 15 minutes.
Sensing a new attitude was needed, Mystics coach Debbie Fuller made wholesale changes to her side – replacing Tutaia with Grace Rasmussen in the shooting circle, Moulds for Charlotte Kight in the defensive circle and English captain Jade Clarke coming into the centre.
The Fever took advantage of the Mystics’ getting-reacquainted phase, immediately storming to within three goals, but Rasmussen and in particular Latu – on 97 percent accuracy with only one miss all match – once again took control of their shooting territory, and ultimately the final result.
ANZ Championship