Netball: Mystics stay in playoffs race

The Northern Mystics kept their trans-Tasman netball semifinal hopes alive with a 62-53 win over Australia's West Coast Fever in Auckland today.

Led by another slick shooting performance from Cathrine Latu, who netted 40 from 41, the Mystics notched their sixth win of the season in an entertaining and physical encounter at North Shore Events Centre to draw level on points with the fourth-placed Southern Steel.

It sets up a tense must-win match for the Mystics against the Steel in Auckland in the penultimate round next weekend.

"We knew we had to grind it through to the last quarter and we knew it would come if we kept that consistency. It was better than our previous weeks," Mystics captain Temepara George told Sky Sport.

The Fever, fresh from a big home win over the struggling Central Pulse, were right in the match for the first three quarters but the Mystics stormed home to win the final quarter 20-12 as the visitors slumped to their eighth defeat of the season.

Fever goal shoot Caitlin Bassett netted 44 from 50 while goal attack Leah Shoard hit nine of 19 as she bravely recovered from a nasty third quarter collision with opposite Larrissa Willcox which saw both hit the court hard and forced the Mystics defender off.

Latu, one of the league's most accurate shooters, had an intense battle with the Fever's 1.96m Australian international Susan Fuhrmann but missed just one of her 24 attempts in the first half and had a perfect 17 from 17 in the second.

Fuhrmann gave Latu a tough time but was penalised often by the umpires as the Fever were pinged for 89 penalties to the hosts' 51.

Mystics goal attack Maria Tutaia backed her goal shoot with a useful 22 from 27 haul.

The Mystics finished each quarter strongly, with a miracle long pass from veteran Jenny-May Coffin to Latu giving them a 13-12 lead at the first break, and two quick goals just before the halftime whistle giving the hosts a 30-26 lead at the main break.

Surprisingly, coach Te Aroha Keenan benched the impressive Coffin at halftime for the fresh legs of Grace Rasmussen, but it didn't hamper the Mystics as they kept their noses in front throughout the second half.

They held a narrow 43-41 lead at three-quarter time but they extended it late in the match as the marathon journey perhaps took its toll on the Perth-based side.

- NZPA