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They beat the Southern Steel 68-47 in Auckland this afternoon to jump into third place, knocking the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic out of the competition.
There are two rounds left in the regular season, and the fierce competition for the playoffs is about to begin.
The Steelers came out stronger in the final period, scoring five straight goals, but the Mystics inflicted heavy damage early on.
Grace Nweke was clearly annoyed by the attention paid to her by Taneisha Fifita in the first quarter and she looked towards the referee several times, awaiting his decision.
Abby Lawson boxed out, grabbed rebounds, and the Steelers had a strong offensive performance.
The run sparked a three-match winning run, with Grace Namana and Georgia Heffernan finding better space under the posts.
But the Mystics came out strong in the final minutes and led 16-12 at the first break.
The Mystics made some substitutions in the second period, but they were very strong offensively.
Steel has some nice passages.
Serina Daunakamakama’s pass found Namana charging the bases as Kate Heffernan passed the ball to her sister.
Kate Heffernan once again did the heavy lifting, slowing down the Mystics’ attack in the middle with her three-foot reach in the air.
But on the field, the Mystics were nearly unstoppable, and even with Enwek taking some time off, they led by 10 points at the break.
The Steelers just need to be more patient on offense, apply more pressure downfield, and value the ball.
Shooters need to increase their volume of shots.
The Steelers had another small run in the third quarter, but the Mystics fought back strongly, leading 50-34 at halftime.
Their attacking style is not flashy, but their ability to quickly switch, receive the ball and make accurate long passes makes them stand out.
The Mystics continued to adjust their lineup, and the scoreline gave coach Tia Winikerei plenty of opportunities to play all of her players.
The Mainland Tactix defeated the Northern Stars 65-54 on Saturday.
ANZ Premier League
score
Northern Mystics 68
Grace Nweke 40/44, Dani Binks 5/8, Filda Vui 17/17, Hannah Glen 6/7
Southern Steel 47
Grace Namana 25/27, Georgia Heffernan 21/27, Summer Party 1/1
Quarter scores: Northern Mystics 16-12, 33-23, 50-34
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