KEY POINTS:
With a play-off spot well out of reach, the Northern Mystics will have to be content playing the spoiler over the final few rounds of the ANZ Championship.
By rights, the Mystics should be heading into tonight's round 12 match against the Southern Steel on the back of four straight wins and knocking on the door of the semifinals.
But a bit of bad luck and some poor umpiring decisions have conspired against the Mystics in their last two matches, which have led to heart-breaking one-goal losses. The Auckland side now only have pride to play for in the final three games.
But with tonight's match a must-win for the Steel, the Mystics will almost certainly be matched in the motivation stakes.
The Steel and the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic are the only two New Zealand sides still in the hunt for a play-off position, after the Canterbury Tactix suffered a 50-36 defeat to the Queensland Firebirds in Brisbane yesterday.
The visitors started strongly with some impressive through-court defence working to stifle the Firebirds' flow and stop the distribution of ball to giant Jamaican shooter Romelda Aiken.
The Firebirds struggled to adjust to the zone style of defence, with Phillipa Finch and Julie Seymour forcing a number of turnovers outside the circle.
But with the Tactix shooters struggling to settle themselves, the visitors were unable to capitalise fully on their wealth of possession and the two sides went in to the first break at 11-all.
With the Tactix midcourt working tirelessly, the Firebirds midcourt continued to struggle with their rhythm in the second period, while Canterbury defender Demelza Fellowes did a solid job on limiting Aiken's impact.
The home side manage to secure a narrow lead at halftime but coach Vicki Wilson still wasn't satisfied and she took the bold step of replacing her star import in the shooting circle with veteran Jo Morgan.
Morgan's stronger movement opened up the Firebirds attack, but it was down the other end of the court that the home side were gaining ascendancy, with the feisty defence and close body checking of Laura Geitz and Peta Stephens wearing down the Tactix shooters.
Curiously though, it was Tactix shooter Hayley Stockman - only on the court after starting shooter Rachel Dunn was forced off following a clumsy and dangerous charge from Geitz - who was drawing all the whistle. Stockman was heavily penalised as she tried to shake off her defenders, who were allowed to sit all over her.
The lopsided penalty count is certain to reignite the debate over the disparities between the two countries' umpiring interpretations.
The result adds to the congestion at the top of the standings, with the Firebirds moving to 14 points alongside the NSW Swifts and Adelaide Thunderbirds, who square off in Sydney tonight.
