The GIANTS have delivered a dominant and composed performance at Ken Rosewall Arena, to secure a 78-68 victory over the Sunshine Coast Lightning and lift themselves off the bottom of the ladder.
Steph Fretwell opened the scoring for the Lightning, but Jo Harten quickly responded, setting the tone for the game ahead. Erin O’Brien continued her impressive form from last week, nabbing an early tip and thriving alongside defensive partner Casey Kopua.
The GIANTS were slick in attack, moving the ball with ease, while the Lightning appeared rattled in the early stages.
With the home side pushing out to a four-goal lead midway through the quarter, Lightning coach Belinda Reynolds was forced to call a tactical timeout.
The GIANTS' defensive unit continued to pile on the pressure, disrupting the Lightning’s attack.
Julie Fitzgerald responded with her own timeout late in the quarter as the Lightning began to claw their way back into the contest. Still, the GIANTS held firm, taking a 20-17 lead into the break, with the presence of Kopua proving influential across the court.
The second quarter started shakily for the GIANTS, with a couple of early errors allowing the Lightning to close the gap to just one.
Ashleigh Ervin stepped up defensively for the Lightning, applying strong pressure on Harten. But the GIANTS quickly regrouped, with Sophie Dwyer lifting her game and combining brilliantly with a rejuvenated Harten.
With seconds remaining in the half, Harten calmly nailed a crucial super shot to push the GIANTS' lead to eight. Cara Koenen had a final attempt for the Lightning but couldn't capitalise, leaving the GIANTS in control with a 40-32 lead at half-time.
The home side continued to assert their dominance in the third quarter, edging ahead 4-3 in the early minutes and quickly finding their rhythm again. The defensive duo of O’Brien and Kopua were outstanding, keeping the Lightning's shooters under constant pressure.
Sophie Dwyer had a huge game under the postKristiana Manu’a was introduced for the Lightning in a bid to steady their defence, but the GIANTS were in full control.
Harten thrived under the post, looking confident and composed, while Amy Sligar produced a standout performance in wing defence, disrupting Lightning’s transitions and contributing to the GIANTS' defensive wall.
A Lightning timeout midway through the quarter saw changes in their attacking circle as they tried to shift momentum, but the GIANTS refused to let up. With the crowd right behind them, the home side surged ahead, playing some of their best netball of the season. By the end of the quarter, they had stormed to a dominant 18 goal lead.
The GIANTS made their first change of the night in the final quarter, bringing on Hope White at centre.
The visitors showed renewed energy in the final 15 minutes, lifting their intensity across the court. A tactical timeout from Julie Fitzgerald came midway through the term, serving a reminder to her side that they remained in full control, despite Lightning leading the quarter.
The absence of Price and Sligar, both rested in the final period, gave the Lightning some breathing room in the midcourt. Liz Watson capitalised on the opportunity to lift her side.
Despite some late super shot supremacy from Reilley Batcheldor to win the final quarter 23-15, the gap remained too great to overcome as the GIANTS ran home to win 78-68.
After a strong performance from her team, GIANTS coach Julie Fitzgerald praised the return to form of key players and the fearless mindset that drove their approach:
"Jo's just playing incredibly now that she's back to her old self in a lot of ways and Casey's been so great to have in the group," said Fitzgerald.
"I think the confidence (is what I'm most proud of today", particularly in that first three quarters - we let the ball go and we were brave, we were fearless, and we backed each other in. I was really proud with how we attacked the game."
