The best players stand up when it matters most and Magic shooter Ellen Halpenny provided a master class in keeping cool as she helped her side sink the Southern Steel in a massive upset in Invercargill yesterday.
The goal shoot slotted three long-range shots in the final minutes in a spine-tingling performance as the Magic turned up to Stadium Southland to snatch the New Zealand conference from the previously unbeaten Steel and leave the home side's season hanging in the balance.
The experienced Magic, which always possessed the threat of pulling out a big game at the right time, claimed the New Zealand conference final 59-57 yesterday afternoon to book a home semifinal next week and send the Steel to Australia for its semifinal.
The Magic outplayed the Steel for much of the first half but the home side had clawed its way back to 53-53 with minutes remaining, before Halpenny produced a performance which made a mockery of so-called finals pressure.
She twice broke a deadlock with long-range shots, before capitalising on a turnover when Steel shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Reid was called for stepping at the other end, as her side edged in front 56-54.
Fellow shooter Jo Harten, who also showed nerves of steel as she shot 46 from 52, then put one in and the home side was down by three with less than two minutes remaining.
The home crowd tried its best to urge its team on but it was not to be as the Magic pulled off a deserved victory after pulling away to a 35-27 halftime lead.
It had earlier opened up a 10-5 lead in the opening stages after scoring seven unanswered goals and was ahead 19-13 at the end of the first period.
Steel coach Noeline Taurua said her side's slow start ultimately cost it the game and it was the result of inexperience against a clinical Magic side.
The Steel will now head to Australia to play the winner of tonight's Australian conference final between the Firebirds and Swifts.
"Things won't change really [in terms of preparation], but I think we were a bit like the deer in the headlights in that first quarter and I think that's understandable considering probably the inexperience of these girls.
"But we didn't take the game fully head-on and I think we suffered for that, especially in the first quarter.''
The Magic has a history of saving itself for the big games - it also finished second in the New Zealand conference last season before upsetting the table-topping Mystics in Auckland in the conference final - and came out firing yesterday.
It was not what the crowd was expecting, especially after the home side jumped to a 5-3 lead.
The combination of Harten and centre Courtney Tairi wreaked havoc on the Steel's defence and, in a rarity this season, the home side was not able to effect a single turnover in the first half.
The Magic was also dogged at the defensive end as it often denied the Steel quality ball, and the ability for Harten and Halpenny to shoot from anywhere was ultimately a key difference.
The Steel won the second half 30-24 as it inched its way back into the game but the Magic was able to weather the storm and hold on for a gutsy win.
"When you know how to win, you know how to deliver the ball, you know when to put your body on the line, and they did that fantastically,'' Taurua said.
"And once again, their experience showed through.
"But at the end of the day, going into this game we were always guaranteed of having two games to play so that doesn't change.
"Obviously, us going over to Australia, that changes but, hey, that's what it's all about. You've got to take the punches whether they're good or bad and just get on with it, so I think it's a really good tester for us.''
In a surprise move, rookie defender Abby Erwood was thrust into the action to make her ANZ Championship debut, replacing Te Huinga Selby-Rickit with nine minutes remaining in the first half.
"She's trained well for a very long time and obviouslyopportunities don't come around [very often],'' Taurua said.
"We never had the luxury of putting Storm [Purvis] out there [due to illness] and she was the next one [to choose from].
"But we needed to make a change anyway and I thought she played awesome.''
Livewire wing attack Gina Crampton was the Steel's standout player.
She again showed great vision and skill to find Fowler-Reid as she kept her side in the match.
ANZ Championship
The scores
Southern Steel 57
Jhaniele Fowler-Reid 47/53, Te Paea Selby-Rickit 10/11
Waikato-BoP Magic 59
Joanne Harten 46/52, Ellen Halpenny 13/17
Quarter scores: 13-19, 14-16, 15-12, 15-12
