Otago shooter Te Paea Selby-Rickit was just losing it on the inside.
To the rest of us, she was the perfect vision of calm as she drilled a penalty shot from deep on the baseline with time up on the clock to help seal a dramatic 54-53 win against Hamilton in the final of the national championships in Dunedin yesterday.
The towering shooter had barely stopped shaking 10min after the final whistle.
''You have to fake it until you make it as a shooter, but I was definitely losing the plot a little bit, especially at the end there,'' she said.
It was a fantastic end to what proved a thrilling final. Selby-Rickit's coup de grace was about as tough a shot as you can expect in a netball match.''
That was probably my least favourite place to shoot from. It was like a shooter's worst nightmare. I felt like I just threw it and luckily it went in, so I'm really happy with that.''
So were her team-mates, who rushed forward and mobbed her.
The defending champions had been in charge of the match but had to weather a fierce comeback from Hamilton in the final quarter.
In a frenetic final five minutes the lead switched hands and it appeared the game was heading to extra time.
But with the scores locked 53-53 with 10sec remaining, Otago captain Gina Crampton got a long ball into Selby-Rickit, who got bumped by the defender and got the penalty.
While the match will be long remembered for that final shot, centre Miaana Walden grabbed a crucial turnover in the dying stages. Walden and fellow unheralded midcourter Sophie Napper had strong tournaments, and goal keep Celina Ledgard was impressive throughout.
Selby-Rickit shot well the whole tournament but stepped up in the final, landing 37 of her 39 attempts. She was well supported by goal attack Kate Shearer with 17 from 26.
Otago coach Lauren Piebenga said Selby-Rickit had made big shots at crucial moments throughout the week-long tournament, so she had confidence her shooter could do it.
''I had complete faith, but I could not look, at the same time,'' Piebenga said.
Hamilton had the better of the initial stages but Otago enjoyed a 16-15 lead at the first break.
Otago continued to make steady gains held a halftime lead of 32-25.
Hamilton coach Margaret Forsyth switched shooter Jessica Tuki to wing attack and brought on goal attack Jess Waitapu, who was supporting a heavily-strapped left calf.
While she clearly still carried a niggle, her accuracy inside the circle helped Hamilton close the gap to three goals midway through the period.
Ledgard, as she had done the whole tournament, made great use of her away hand to nab the ball for Otago.
Her side exercised impeccable patience, working the ball up court and finally converting the turnover.
That play perhaps typified this gutsy and tenacious Otago team. It was not about to concede its lead easily.
But that composure wilted away with its lead in the fourth period. Hamilton stormed back into the match and took the lead with 7min remaining.
Each possession took on a new intensity and Piebenga called a time out to help swing the momentum.''
We were getting caught running on top of each other and our space was getting shut down. So we just went back to using the open court when we could and finding our shooters under the post.''
It is the first time Otago has won consecutive titles and it is just Otago's fifth title since the tournament began in 1926.
In the playoff for third and fourth, Christchurch trailed Auckland 18-11 at the first break.
But the pre-tournament favourite rediscovered its touch, picking up plenty of turnover ball to record a comfortable 66-48 victory.
In the day's other matches, Otago B beat the Invitational side 47-45, Manawatu beat Counties Manukau 57-48 to finish ninth, Wellington demolished Waitakere 64-31 in the playoff for seventh and eighth and North Harbour thrashed Southland 69-40 to claim fifth place.
National champs
The scores
Otago ... 54
Te Paea Selby-Rickit 37 from 39, Kate Shearer 17/26
Hamilton ... 53
Elsa Brown 36/40, Jessica Tuki 6/15, Jess Waitapu 11/15
Quarter scores: 16-15, 32-25, 43-39
