Mystics 49
Swifts 44
The Northern Mystics have come up with the best possible response to critics who claim the Auckland side does not deserve to be in the transtasman league playoffs - by winning in Australia.
An assured and methodical Mystics outfit last night inflicted more finals pain on the NSW Swifts, outclassing the Sydney side on their home turf to advance through to the ANZ Championship preliminary final.
The result was the perfect response to those who had questioned the Mystics' finals credentials on the basis that they enjoyed an easier road to the playoffs than their Australian counterparts.
Most thought the Mystics, who were appearing in their maiden finals campaign, would barely trouble the Swifts in Sydney last night.
But stung by a disappointing performance against the Swifts in their round-robin match three weeks ago, the fired-up Mystics were determined to show what they were capable of.
They started strongly, racing out to a 15-11 lead at the first break and doubled their lead to eight goals at halftime. The experienced Sydney line-up battled back to reduce the deficit to five late in the third quarter, but the Mystics showed strong composure to weather the storm and pull away again in the early stages of the final period to secure the win.
The 49-44 win was just their second win on Australian soil and the first time they had ever beaten the Swifts, continuing a season of firsts for the Auckland side.
Mystics shooter Maria Tutaia, who was voted the match MVP after a brilliant long-range shooting display, said the win was built on one thing: belief.
"We went in there not thinking we could win but knowing we could win - we had absolute belief in ourselves," she said.
"I'm just so overwhelmed, it feels so great to beat a team like the Swifts because they have a lot of great players."
Along with Tutaia, who lifted her attack end with her confidence to go to the post, there were stars all over the court for the Mystics. Cathrine Latu missed just three goals all game and displayed breathtaking athleticism to out-move her opponent Sonia Mkoloma. Veteran midcourters Megan Dehn and Temepara George controlled the tempo of the game, while the back three of Joline Henry, Kayla Cullen and Anna Scarlett hassled the Swifts' attackers into submission.
Cullen in particular was a stand-out in the Mystics' defence. The 19-year-old snaffled any loose ball and pulled down seven rebounds - more than the entire Swifts team combined - before she was forced from the court in the dying minutes after suffering cramping in her calves.
The defeat was a bitter blow for the star-studded Swifts, who were looking to erase the bad memories from last year's finals campaign, in which they were ousted in straight sets after going through the regular season unbeaten.
Swifts captain Catherine Cox believed her side were their own worst enemies as they squandered too much possession.
"It's hugely disappointing, especially because we had enough ball five times over to win that game and we just made silly mistakes with it," said Cox.
"We really could have and should have won that game."
The Mystics will tonight learn who they are to face in the preliminary final.
The winner of tonight's major semifinal between the Queensland Firebirds and Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic will advance straight through to the grand final, while the loser will battle it out for the Mystics for the remaining spot in the title decider.
One thing is certain: there will be a New Zealand side in the grand final.
