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A spirited Go Media Stars team have produced a valiant effort to finish their ANZ Premiership season as they were held off by the Steel 61-55 in Invercargill.
The Stars entered the contest desperate to put together a showing they could be proud of to finish a difficult campaign.
A fired-up defensive pairing of Lili Tokaduadua and Remi Kamo irritated the Steel attack and forced a number of deflections and turnovers with their suffocating play.
Unfortunately for the Stars, they struggled to convert those turnovers into valuable goals, with the first quarter seeing the Stars log a disappointing 25 per cent turnover to goal rate as they were down 14-10 at the quarter break.
A chance to catch their breath at quarter time was just what the Stars needed as they roared into life with ball in hand.
The Stars showed what they’re capable of with some beautiful link-up play and confidence, allowing the ball to be swiftly sent into the shooting circle, where Maia Wilson would convert, as she was a pillar of power in front of the hoop.
Mila Reulelu-Buchanan and Tori Kolose were thriving with their attacking freedom in the mid-court and racked up some impressive assists, threading the needle with precision to find Wilson and Crystal Maro.
The Stars minimised their errors and looked like a completely different team, capping off a strong quarter with some more tantalising play, winning the quarter 18-14 and tying the game 28-all at half-time.
An excited Stars then came a bit too fast out of the blocks and stumbled at the start of the second half, with some rushed play allowing the Steel to capitalise on their errors and build a handy lead.
An inability to stop the momentum of their opponents had been a problem for the Stars for much of the season, but they hung tough for much of the third period, determined to stay in the fight.
After regaining composure with the ball and with time ticking down on the clock, Wilson came up clutch with a two-point bomb to cut the deficit to two goals, with the Steel ahead 45-43.
The Stars made an encouraging start to the final quarter, with two straight Wilson goals locking the scores at 45-each.
The Steel then came to life, buoyed by their home fans, and went on a damaging run of their own.
They surged to a seven-goal advantage in what was a game-defining run.
The Stars refused to quit, though and tried until the very end, with Wilson landing more two-pointers to finish the game down by a respectable six goals, as the Steel came away with a 61-55 victory.
Wilson finished the game with an outstanding captain’s knock, netting 47 of her 49 shots at goal, while Kamo was impressive at the defensive end with multiple deflections and gains.
The Stars can hold their heads high after a commendable effort to close a tough season.
The six-goal defeat was their lowest losing margin, and many of their players enjoyed standout moments throughout.
