Still sitting at the top of the ANZ Premiership ladder, the VIP Frame and Trusses Tactix lost their third match of the season tonight against a rallying Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse.
Looking at a six-match losing streak and unable to make this year’s Finals Series, the Pulse put together their best performance of the season to beat the Tactix 49-45 at Fly Palmy Arena in Palmerston North
A bonus point super shot from Amorangi Malesala in the dying seconds of play means the Tactix will still walk away with a bonus point, while the Pulse were playing like a team with the freedom of nothing to lose and were menacing on defence and accurate with ball in hand on attack.
It was settled line-ups for both teams with Khiarna Williams getting the nod at shooter for the Pulse and Charlie Bell in the same bib for the Tactix, and in front of a sold-out arena, it was the Pulse which got the first points on the board.
The battle in the middle between Emma Thompson and Holly Mather promised plenty from the opening whistles. Holly Comyns made the Tactix work hard to get into their shooting circle shutting down the option into Bell who still worked up a 96% shooting rate across 26 attempts, and Malesala added six points to the board from super shots throughout the game.
With just under two minutes in the spell, the Pulse made a surprise change with Williams moving out to goal attack, in place of captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio, and Ine-Mari Venter coming on at shooter – the hosts going into the quarter break with a 10-7 lead.
With the gap at three and having received some medical attention on the bench, Ekenasio returned to the court, replacing Williams at goal attack.
Patience with ball in hand was needed by the Tactix against a smothering Pulse defensive unit as the hosts applied the pressure to re-establish their advantage on the scoreboard, going into the halftime break with a 24-20 advantage.
Circle defence duo Ash Barnett and Laura Balmer interrupted the Pulse shooting circle with nine deflections between them throughout the game.
Rallying back to win the third quarter, the hosts reintroduced Williams to the game – and maintained their composure going into the last turn leading 37-34.
