ANZ Premiership: Northern Mystics mark Sulu Fitzpatrick’s 150th with scrappy win

At The Trusts Arena, Auckland: Northern Mystics 65 (Grace Nweke 53/58, Filda Vui 12/16) Southern Steel 55 (Saviour Tui 41/51, Georgia Heffernan 12/17, Jess Allan 2/3).1Q: 19-9, HT: 33-21, 3Q: 47-39

Captain Sulu Fitzpatrick celebrated her 150th national league game with a victory, but the Northern Mystics had to scrap their way to it, in what was a top versus bottom ANZ Premiership clash against the Southern Steel.

In front of whānau in the crowd at The Trusts Arena decked out in celebratory t-shirts to mark her milestone match, Fitzpatrick was her typically stoic self in her three quarters at goal keep, but had to watch on anxiously as her side were made to work hard for their 65-55 win on Saturday night.

Having beaten the southerners 64-38 and 64-48 earlier in the season, it was looking like something just as comfortable for the table-toppers here, racing to a 6-1 lead and a 19-9 quarter-time advantage, as towering shooter Grace Nweke once more raised a half century (53/58), as her feeders consistently found their big target on feeds both short and long.

However, the Steel, er, steeled up, to not only merely keep the hosts honest, but close to within five goals early in the final quarter.

Having started by picking up their share of ball and slowing the scoring flow in the second period, losing it just 14-12, to go to halftime down 33-21, they then really ramped things up after the big break.

With Nweke doing the almost unthinkable and missing not one, not two, but three shots, under fine pressure from Kate Burley, and the Mystics being heavily penalised (18-3), the Steel came away with the third-quarter honours 18-14, with Saviour Tui netting 14 times, and perhaps also with the goal of the season when she netted unbelievably when falling away out of court.

Up 47-39 going into the final 15, the Mystics were in all likelihood going to be too tough to catch. Though with Nweke somewhat shaky, and Tui classy at the other end, the Steel roared back into it.

But any side with Nweke can certainly score quickly, and in the blink of an eye the margin was back to double figures.

Best on court

Young Steel shooter Tui showed massive signs of her great potential. It’s near impossible for another shooter to outshine Nweke, yet the 21-year-old former Mystics rep did just that. Playing the full 60 at goal shoot, she was all class, sinking 41/51, with some eye-catching ones at that, to keep her side within range.

The big moment

It was just the third minute of the game, but Georgia Heffernan’s pop pass over the head of shooting mate Tui proved costly. It saw the Mystics go down court to net twice, then when Kate Heffernan was whistled for a held ball call she could not believe, the hosts netted twice more to go up 6-1, as the Steel went almost four minutes without scoring.

Match rating

7/10. It was expected to be very one-sided, and it definitely looked like it would be something like that, but the Steel, as they have many times through this trying season, stepped it up to put in a fighting display.

The big picture

With their win, the Mystics open up a three-point buffer over the Pulse at the top of the table, as they gun for that top spot and automatic grand final berth, with three games left to play. Meanwhile, the 0-12 Steel are now officially guaranteed the wooden spoon.