The talk of the weekend’s action was Sunday afternoon’s unexpected Bond University Bull Sharks’ 59-54 win over the ACU Brisbane North Cougars.
It’s not unfair to the young Bull Sharks side to say they were huge underdogs against the defending premiers at South Pine Sport Complex.
“It was just really not so much about beating Cougars, but performing how we know we can,” Bull Sharks coach Bec Stower said.
“It’s a big turning point for us mentally because in other games we’ve fallen apart and then had a resurgence when it was too little too late. We recognised what was breaking down and took action.”
The Bull Sharks managed to maintain a lead for the majority of the game, setting themselves up for their second win of the season which lifts them off the bottom of the ladder.
“We’ve just been doing mid-season reviews and I told them probably not what they wanted to hear, but needed to hear,” Stower said.
“It was not good enough at this point of the season. There was a bit of tough love through the week. We didn’t want to keep going down the same route. If they can play like that every week, we’d be sitting up the top by now.”
Stower remains hopeful of her side breaking into the top four in their first season of HART Sapphire Series netball.
“We’re not out of the race just yet,” she said.
“I’ve done the math and we can still potentially crack the top four depending on factors. We’ll just go game by game.”
Despite losing three of their seven starting players in the days leading up to Saturday’s clash with the Carina Leagues Club Tigers, the Sunshine Coast Thunder managed to snatch a 49-44 win at Nissan Arena.
Thunder coach Simone Nalatu wasn’t convinced of the result until the fourth quarter when their lead increased to nine goals.
“It was close, there was only ever a few in it,” Nalatu said.
“We were coming off a good training week and still had the core going in. Our team hasn’t been immune to changes, just like other teams, and we can’t make excuses. We just have to go out there and play the best we can.”
Nalatu described her side’s third win of the season, and second against the Tigers, as a solid team effort.
“It was about the Thunder dress, and it didn’t matter who was in it, they had a job to do,” she said.
“The same seven stayed on and it was about them doing the job consistently for four quarters.”
Sharing fourth spot on the ladder with the Tigers, but above them on percentage, every win is crucial come qualifying for finals.
“We’ve got to win more than we lose now,” Nalatu said.
The TAE Aerospace Ipswich Jets are outright top of the ladder following Sunday’s last game of the round, a 74-43 win over the Brisbane South Wildcats at Ipswich Basketball Stadium.
“Hulita Veve was just phenomenal,” Jets coach Paula Stuart said of her captain.
“She’s come back to us now after stints with the Firebirds and Tongan team, and just leads like a captain does.”
Stuart also made special mention of Naomi Solomona at goal attack, and wing defence Chloe Litherland.
“Naomi probably hasn’t played this much goal attack in her life,” Stuart said.
“She’s learning that role again, after being a goal shooter for three years, and played an amazing game.”
With a 20-goal advantage at half-time, Stuart said her decision to make changes threw momentum in favour of the Wildcats.
“I called a time-out after the first five minutes (of the third quarter), and had a few stern words with the players,” she said.
“There were probably too many changes all at once. We ended up winning by a bit but that disappointing seven minutes was a problem. It wasn’t the perfect game but for the rest of it they came out, stepped up and kept going. We want to make sure we’re in the top four, and we want to play like a team that wants to be there.”
Jets mid-courter Steph O’Brien copped an elbow to her cheek during the game, but Stuart was hopeful it wouldn’t be anything more serious than a nasty bruise.
The Gold Coast Titans enjoyed a bye in round nine, which sets them up beautifully with fresh legs for this weekend’s top-of-the-table game against the Jets.
For the HART Sapphire Series fixture, results and ladder, please click here.
