RICKY WILSON/STUFF
Grace Nweke will be a key player for the Mystics in the ANZ Premiership grand final.
At Eventfinda Stadium, Auckland: Mystics 64 (Grace Nweke: 59/69, Filda Vui: 5/9) Tactix 61(Aliyah Dunn: 32/33, Te Paea Selby-Rickit: 29/33) 1Q: 18-13, HT: 29-27, 3Q: 46-43.
The Mainland Tactix missed out on the ANZ Premiership playoffs after an unlikely result proved beyond them, despite pushing the table-topping Mystics to extra time, in the final regular season match in Auckland on Monday.
Fresh from a win over the second-placed Pulse, the Tactix faced the huge task of needing to beat the Northern Mystics by more than 18 goals to sneak past the Stars into third on goal difference.
They couldn’t do that but they showed courage in spades to come from behind and force the game into overtime after Aliyah Dunn locked up the scores at 57-57 as the siren sounded for the end of regulation time.
But the Tactix couldn’t pull off the bittersweet result in extra time, as the Mystics won 64–61, having already clinched top spot and direct entry into the June 4 grand final in Hamilton.
The Pulse will now host the Stars in Wellington on Sunday in the elimination final – a grand final rematch from last season – for the right to play the decider.
Under the watchful eye of Silver Ferns head coach Dame Noeline Taurua, Tactix star defender Jane Watson entered the game at quarter time in the not-so-familiar position of goal keep, reportedly due to her injury recovery.
The reshuffled defensive end saw Karin Burger shift to wing defence and Kate Lloyd at goal defence until Paris Lokotui replaced Lloyd in the third quarter and moved to wing defence.
The in-form team right now, the Mystics wasted no time in flying out of the blocks for a five-goal lead at the first break.
Watson’s injection gave the desperate Tactix a much-needed and immediate boost to take the second quarter 14 goals to 11, but they still trailed by two at half-time.
With Watson on a 45-minute playing restriction as she builds back to full fitness in the lead up to the World Cup, she was frustratingly forced off court when extra time began.
Grace Nweke must have caught the eye of her Silver Ferns coach with yet another accurate performance in the shooting circle for the Mystics in the first half but she dropped off a little in the second to finish at 86%.
Mystics goal defence Phoenix Karaka gave another standout showing and will be a key player in the grand final.