Rangy defender Kelly Jury produced a stunning individual performance in the Pulse's losing effort against the Stars. Photo: PhotoWellington
Delivering an ingenious defensive solution helped the Stars defeat Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse 49-44 in a low-scoring hard-fought clash in Wellington on Sunday.
The win now sees the Pulse and Stars locked up on 22 competition points, with the Auckland side making their run as the Finals Series approaches.
Playing their second game of the weekend, the Stars backed up with plenty of energy for the dramatic last quarter.
``Frustrating,’’ was Pulse coach Yvette McCausland-Durie’s post-match summation. ``We had moments where we could take our opportunities and we just didn’t take them. There was some unusual disconnection, so we ‘ve got some work to do this week.
``It puts us on the back foot a little but that’s okay, we’ve got to learn from that and go again but yeah, so frustrating.’’
The inventive fix to Anna Harrison’s unavailability saw former Silver Fern Leana de Bruin rushed into the Auckland side to partner the brilliant Elle Temu.
De Bruin was making her second league appearance of the 2022 season after an earlier successful comeback for the Magic.
De Bruin’s presence inspired the players around her with the Stars defensive unit working cohesively from the opening whistle. Despite her strong outing, de Bruin’s work was done by halftime and she was replaced by Kayla Johnson.
For the Stars, circle defender Temu, goal attack Amorangi Malesala, and midcourter Mila Reuelu-Buchanan made the difference to split the teams on the scoreboard. But team work across the court was also a factor for the Stars.
Both sides started the game with confidence, with the Stars building a two-goal lead at the first quarter break.
With neither side giving an inch, the game was anyone’s at three quarter time with the Stars showing more poise and drive in the last quarter to outscore the Pulse by three goals.
For the Pulse, defender Kelly Jury won 10 gains and four deflections in a stunning individual performance, with Maddy Gordon also coming into strong form at the back end of the season.
Shooting stats
Pulse:
Aliyah Dunn 28/32 (88%)
Tiana Metuarau 16/19 (84%)
Stars:
Maia Wilson 36/42 (86%)
Amorangi Malesala 8/10 (80%)
Jamie Hume 5/9 (56%)
MVP: Mila Reuelu-Buchanan (Stars)