The Southern Steel completed a dramatic come-from-behind rally to clinch a hard-fought 47-45 win over the Tactix in Nelson last night.
In a contrasting final stanza, which the Tactix dominated early after a run over seven straight goals and with it a five-goal lead, the youthful and gritty Steel showed their hand late in the piece to repeat the dose.
Scoring seven of their own pushed the Steel back into the lead with just under two minutes to go and from there they didn't allow the Tactix to make any further inroads.
Still recovering from a head knock suffered last week, the Tactix were dealt a blow when key 1.96m shooter Ellie Bird was ruled out for the clash, her place being taken by 30-year-old doctor Kate Grant.
Turnovers highlighted the opening minutes but it was the Tactix who settled best, relying on patience and a steady-as-she-goes approach while acclimatising to a new shooting mix. Out of the Lincoln University team in the Canterbury club competition, Grant impressed with her general court play, speed and accuracy under the hoop.