An emotional Otago coach, Georgie Salter, thought her side had blown its opportunity to advance through to the semifinals shortly after its two-goal loss to North yesterday.
But a closer examination of the national championship playing conditions swung the odds back in Otago's favour.
Otago lost its final round-robin match 55-53 but picked up a valuable bonus point to move into fourth place with 10 points.
That point left Waikato needing to beat Auckland Waitakere to bump Otago back a spot.
A bonus-point loss would have put Waikato on the same points as Otago but, because the southerners won the round-robin match, Waikato would be relegated to fifth place.
In the end the playing conditions mattered little, with Waikato losing 53-44 to the impressive Aucklanders.
Apart from a shock loss to Southland in the first round, defending champion Auckland has been the form side and will play Otago in the first semifinal today.
Southland humbled Western 62-40 and will play North in the other semi.
Of course, Salter did not have the benefit of an extra few hours to see how the results were going to pan out and lamented her side's performance during the final stages.
"We just went off the boil a bit and it is really disappointing," she said.
Otago led by four goals with 5min remaining and had all the momentum. Enter former Silver Ferns centre Temepara George.
The experienced midcourter grabbed a crucial intercept and moments later threaded a sublime pass through to shooter Cathrine Latu.
North had looked like a beaten side but George's efforts helped level the score and swing the game back in North's favour.
"We did everything right to win this game but we didn't take it. We've got character, we've got talent and all the things necessary to win a game and we failed ourselves in the last 3min," Salter said.
Otago made a slick beginning. It took just three snappy passes before Otago shooter Greir Campbell posted the first goal.
The goal shoot did not have the best of games though, landing 25 of 41 attempts. Former Silver Ferns shooter Jessica Tuki produced her best performance this season.
The lanky 21-year-old shot well, scoring 26 from 31. North built a five-goal lead but Otago scored five unanswered goals to trail 15-13 at the break. Salter made wholesale changes.
Tuki moved from goal attack to goal shoot and Rihi Salter came on for Campbell.
Debbie White shuffled back to goal defence, with Phillipa Finch moving from wing defence to centre and Jaimee Power came on at wing defence.
Finch linked well with her shooters but at half-time Otago had fallen further behind.
Salter rang the changes again with goal keep Jess Moulds getting her first game for Otago and Hannah Broederlow coming back at wing defence.
Tuki switched back to goal attack and Campbell came back on. The seven goal deficit was quickly erased, with Otago outscoring its opponent 15-9.
Trailing by a goal with 15min remaining Otago took control and maintained a narrow lead until there was about 3min left.
A combination of hesitant play by the southerners and some long overdue desperation from North enabled the pre-tournament favourite to seal the win.
