The South Coast Blaze have rebounded from their previous rounds loss, with a huge win in nail-biting fashion over the Sutherland Stingrays in a home court thriller.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Both teams played extremely hard and it was a physical battle that saw every player leave 100% on the court.
READ MORE:
The Blaze opened the game with a strong display of their defensive identity.
Shelby Mallon effortlessly fed Kristina Brice, to open up a number of opportunities for their team, and by the end of a dominant first quarter the Blaze led 20-13.
However, the Stingrays responded in the second quarter, with their defense turning it up a notch and confusing the Blaze attack.
They narrowed the gap, but the Blaze managed to continue to push back and hold their lead thanks to the two-way play of Te-Arn Bradley who was essential for the Blaze's transition from defense to attack.
Aisha Bower yet again put forward a monster defensive game, securing several intercepts and fueling her side to a strong 30-26 lead.
Coming out of the half, Emily Coggan made an immediate impact in goal keeper for the Blaze, disrupting a lot of the Stingray's circle offense and feeds towards the rim.
In attack Brice continued to dominate, providing a strong and reliable presence for her teammates.
The Stingrays kept on battling though and remained nipping at the heels of the Blaze as they neared the final frame of play.
At the start of the fourth the Blaze continued to narrowly hold onto the lead 44-41.
Debutant Mia Evans made her presence immediately felt for the Blaze in the front end.
The Blaze continued to work the ball down the court as the two teams went goal for goal in the final term.
Both sides continued to intercept the ball and flex their defensive chops, with turnovers piling up on either side, which created the stage for a back and forth affair.
Luckily the Blaze hung tough and were able to pull out the win. 57-54.
They continue to hold on to top four positioning as they look to establish themselves as one of the giants in the comp.
The U23s Blaze came up against the Stingrays in a top-of-the-table clash that saw two giants of the league battle until the final whistle.
Both sides played extremely well and the Blaze entered the final period of play losing 41-42 as both sides prepared themselves for a dogfight.
Manaia Mete and Papi Alaalatoa worked well together in the circle, shooting with accuracy, and taking some impressive balls under pressure.
The whole Blaze team worked seamlessly together to turn the ball over in defense, allowing them to level the score halfway through the quarter.
They worked until the final seconds to secure 53-all game, a tremendous effort by both sides.