A rampant fourth quarter allowed the Southern Steel to pull away to a 69-58 win over the Northern Mystics at Invercargill's Super Sunday yesterday.
It also secured the Georgie Salter Memorial Trophy, contested for the first time in honour of the late Otago stalwart.
The Steel took a four-goal lead into the final quarter and momentum was against it after the Mystics had their best period of the game.
But the response was emphatic. The defence lifted and the Mystics' attack capitulated, enabling the Steel to quickly pull out to a double-digit lead.
From there it was able to rotate the majority of its players, which could prove key in its game against the Central Pulse tonight.
It was the result of an effort that stifled every Mystics attempt at a comeback.
The Steel held a lead of around five most of the way.
Every time the Mystics looked to go on a run, the Steel would limit it.
Several times the defence - notably Kate Heffernan and Abby Erwood - came up with important intercepts.
At the other end the attack was clinical, in particular Lenize Potgieter, who dispatched 43/44 of her shots.
Steel coach Reinga Bloxham said it was a game that could have gone either way.
However, she was glad of the win and said the fourth-quarter response was pleasing.
"I think the third quarter they really put the pressure on us and we took a while to respond.
"That fourth quarter, though, we were much more safe with the ball, did our work on defence and created turnovers. It was good."
The Steel fell behind almost instantly, as the centre pass went to no-one and Mystics goal shoot Grace Nweke capitalised.
Nweke's size once again proved a tough force to contain early.
Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit got in front and forced the Mystics to feed over the top, but they did that successfully more often that not.
She was able to slow the goal shoot down a handful of times, though, and that gave the Steel its break.
It led 15-10 after 10 minutes, although Erena Mikaere came up with an intercept to spark the Mystics back to 18-18 at the first break.
The Steel jumped ahead early in the second quarter.
A Taylor Earle feed that did not find its mark, followed by a Kate Heffernan intercept, gave the Steel the ball to make it 24-19.
The Mystics began to fight back, but a brilliant Abby Erwood intercept held them off.
That, combined with several Mystics penalties, paved the way for the Steel to head to the break ahead 36-30.
The Mystics changed its shooting duo, Jamie Hume coming on for Nweke and Bailey Mes shifting to goal shoot, in the third quarter. Alongside a lift in defensive intensity, that change helped the Mystics win the quarter.
It pegged back only two goals, though, the Steel limiting the damage to hold a four-goal lead.
Nweke returned for the fourth quarter but was unable to exert her dominance.
The Steel defence lifted and began picking off passes to pave way for a rampant fourth quarter.
In the other games, the Central Pulse pulled away late to beat the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic 53-45 and the Mainland Tactix upset the Northern Stars 53-48.
