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The Queensland Firebirds have handed the NSW Swifts their third successive defeat and kept their away record intact with a 58-54 trans-Tasman championship victory at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre on Monday.
The Queenslanders held a two-goal margin going into the final quarter and gutsy defence from Laura Geitz and a 16-goal haul for the period to Romelda Aiken directed the Firebirds to their fourth-successive win.
There was no joy for NSW coach Julie Fitzgerald, who was celebrating her 200th match in charge, nor Swifts shooter Susan Pratley who scored her 500th championship goal.
Jessica Mansell was given the nod for her Swifts debut and performed well given her enormous challenge of defending Firebirds towering strike shooter Aiken, who finished with 51-goals.
The Firebirds took control of the match early despite tight cross-court defence from the Swifts. Three key intercepts to Firebirds keeper Laura Geitz helped her side to a comfortable 16-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Swifts staged an almighty comeback after the break when Catherine Cox found her touch and twice led the Swifts on four-goal runs to drag the deficit back to two goals at half-time.
Firebirds threatened to score just before the bell but a leaping Kimberley Smith spoiled a mid-air goal-bound ball from shooter Alissa Castrisos to send the home side into the main break 25-27 with their tails up.
Smith was rewarded with a deafening cheer from the crowd and drew high-fives from fellow defenders Rebecca Bulley and Mansell.
Queensland coach Vicki Wilson introduced goal attack Janelle Lawson into the game for Castrisos, who shot only four goals from seven attempts, and replaced Peta Stephens at goal defence with Demelza McCloud.
The changes spurred on the Firebirds as they went back out to a seven-goal margin midway through the third-term.
But as the match intensity heated up the Swifts thrived and led through the midcourt by Kim Green and Vanessa Ware, closed the deficit to two goals, 42-40 at the last change.
In other round seven matches, the Melbourne Vixens put on a 74-49 masterclass for the West Coast Fever, Southern Steel beat the Canterbury Tactix 48-47 and the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic crushed the Northern Mystics 50-35.
Swifts captain Cox who shot 32 from 43 attempts at 74 per cent accuracy, said she was “filthy” with the result after closing a seven-goal deficit to just one goal in the final quarter.
“I knew the first (quarter) was a disaster, but with someone like Romelda down there it was a great fightback because once they get a flow on they can easily start throwing the ball down to her, she’s a massive target.”
Cox also praised debutante Mansell for her efforts against the near-unstoppable Aiken.
“She went really well, it was a huge ask, it can really depress you when you see the ball going over your head nine times out of ten, but that’s the way it’s going to be and she just did really well to grab hold of what she could.”
Firebirds and Australian keeper Geitz, while pleased with the win, was disappointed they had let the Swifts back into the match.
“We knew we never had it in the bag and that was the disappointing thing on our behalf that we did hold a seven goal lead but then we let them back into the game,” Geitz said.
“The same thing happened against the Fever last week and we just really need to be aware that we’re playing with fire a little bit.
“We’ve never been in the finals and we’re feeling stronger every week so to make the finals would be amazing but at the same time we’ve got pretty tough ones from now on, we’ve got Melbourne and Adelaide away.”