Keeping up with the Southern Steel is proving a difficult task.
Yesterday, for the fourth game in a row, the side was a dominant winner.
It was relentless as it notched a 70-52 win in Invercargill over the Mainland Tactix - the closest win in that four-game stretch.
After absorbing a mountain of pressure early, the Steel pulled away late in the first quarter. Once it got going there was no stopping it.
The Steel played with pace and easily fed its shooters, who were clinical with an 86% conversion rate.
That pace and Gina Crampton's uncanny ability to turn and feed largely negated Tactix defender Jane Watson,
who had dominated the first quarter, picking off passes as the Steel struggled to find its shooters.
But then the Steel attack took over. Goal attack Te Paea Selby-Rickit had her best game of the season and kept the score ticking over early. She finished with 25 goals from 30 attempts and combined well with Lenize Potgieter, who finished with 45/51.
At the other end, the Steel defence was energetic, depriving the Tactix shooters of ball. They took just 59 shots, as opposed to the 81 the Steel took.
Steel coach Reinga Bloxham was pleased with the way the team built on its lead each quarter. She felt the side had been a little unsettled early on, given the emotion involved after the Christchurch shootings.
Once the nerves disappeared, the Steel began applying pressure which Bloxham said was key.
"One of the things we've been working on is trying to build on those moments when we turn over ball and making sure we're clinical and score, then go again,'' she said.
"When we do it it's amazing to watch and we're playing with great speed and accuracy.''
The Tactix started well, forcing the Steel to work hard to get ball to its shooters and keeping it away from Potgieter.
They jumped out to 7-3, but the Steel fought back as Selby-Rickit proved a threat. Her confidence grew, while Kate Heffernan proved disruptive early on at wing defence. That duo proved key as the Steel clawed back the lead at 11-10.
From there the Tactix defence changed strategy to mark both shooters.
Meanwhile, the Steel found its groove and extended its lead to 16-11 at the first break.
That continued into the second quarter. Crampton and Shannon Saunders showed their class and helped the Steel pile on the goals.
Through the third quarter the Tactix held that deficit, before the Steel finished strongly to extend to a 53-40 lead.
The Steel made several late changes although that did not stop it extending its lead by another five goals.
Earlier, the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic beat the Northern Mystics 42-34.
In the Beko League the Southern Blast notched a 45-42 win over the Central Manawa.
