A strong defensive effort by Mystics wing defender Sheryl Scanlan and in-circle blockers Vilimaina Davu and Leana de Bruin had the Pulse struggling to match their sterling effort last week against championship leaders Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, which they lost 41-46.
"I think this week, our attack probably wasn't as strong. We just didn't quite find the connections -- at times we got caught standing..." Pulse skipper Frances Solia said.
The game got off to a slow start. The first quarter was a low-scoring affair -- 8-7 to the Mystics -- with both sides creating opportunities but throwing them away with unforced errors.
The Mystics picked their pace up in the second quarter to establish the foundation for their win.
They took an 18-11 lead at halftime with skipper and centre Temepara George and wing attack Rawinia Everitt supplying shooters Jade Topia and Paula Griffin with good ball.
Mystics coach Yvonne Willering replaced Topia with Catherine Latu at goal shoot for the second half and the accurate Samoan international helped her side put on a spurt that the Pulse could not match.
They moved out to a 30-21 lead at halftime and out-shot the Pulse 12-7 in the final quarter.
Mystics skipper Temepara George said the team, who had beaten the Southern Steel 47-41 in the last round, had put emphasis on their defence today.
The Mystics are out of the running for the playoffs with 10 points from five wins after 12 matches.
Their final match of the season will be against the Melbourne Vixens, currently second in the table.
"We love playing the Aussie style -- it takes a different game plan and we are looking forward to it," George said.
The Pulse's last chance to put a number in their win column in the standings is against the Adelaide Thunderbirds on July 7 in Napier.
