A storming second-half performance by the NSW Swifts has ensured their winning streak continues after they downed local rivals the Giants 82-69 in the first Sydney Derby of the year at Ken Rosewall Arena.
The seven-time Premiers, who entered the game on top of the Suncorp Super Netball ladder after five rounds, were sternly tested in the first half but it was one-way traffic in the second.
Led by another fine defensive performance with Teigan O’Shannassy the star this week - and the mercurial Grace Nweke and Helen Housby in attack - the Swifts now have a 6-0 record for the year but face their biggest challenge next week against the Sunshine Coast Lightning in Queensland.
"We wanted to start each quarter hard, we wanted to come out and lay a mark and I think we did that," O'Shannassy, who was voted game MVP, told Fox Sports afterwards.
"We got told by Briony to go out and do what we do best, individually and as a team, and getting that freedom from the coach is something that lifts everyone up.
"It's the battle of NSW and no matter where they (Giants) are on the ladder they bring out the best in us and no matter where we are in the ladder it's always going to be a great game."
The Swifts led by three goals at halftime (38-35) after a hotly contested opening 30 minutes in which the ladder-leaders did little wrong but the Giants were proving themselves to be much better than their ladder position suggested.
Helen Housby nailed three Super Shots in the opening two quarters as NSW threatened to open a big gap but Sophie Dwyer and Jo Harten responded with three of their own to ensure it was a one-turnover game when the sides headed to the sheds.
Back-to-back possession gains in the opening five minutes of the third quarter gave Nweke the opportunity to put the Swifts eight goals up and force the hosts into a timeout.
Former Swifts Premiership-winning coach Julie Fitzgerald didn’t get the desired effect, however, and it was her former player Briony Akle whose side started to soar.
O’Shannassy’s five gains and four intercepts provided the solid bonus possession the Swifts needed to take control and with Nweke scoring 64 goals from 67 attempts (and successfully rebounding her rare misses) the visitors were able to build an insurmountable advantage.
A 22-13 third quarter meant that the Giants were playing catch-up big style in the last period and while substitute Matisse Letherbarrow was impressive from range it was a case of too little too late.
When the Super Shots didn’t drop for the Giants, the Swifts were patient in transition and continued to put more daylight between them and their neighbours.
Akle said her halftime chat was pretty simple and was delighted with how her Swifts responded.
“These kinds of games can be a real grind and I think we just reminded ourselves of our strengths rather than worry about what they’re going to do against us.
“We just needed to be clinical and have two options every time we had the ball, which are all cliches, but I feel like we had a job to do in that second half and we came out and did it.”
