Kate Eddy struggled to find a way through the Lightning pressure while Zara Walters stood strong with multiple turnovers as the home side pushed ahead 10-8 midway through the quarter. The Lightning then took a 13-10 lead into the Power Five, forcing a Vixens’ timeout focused around matching the physicality and lifting their intensity.
The Lightning finished the quarter strongly, capitalising on Vixens errors, including a costly contact call against Kiera Austin to blow the margin out to seven. A missed Suncorp Super Shot attempt on the buzzer left the visitors flat as Lightning headed into the first break firmly in control.
The home side took full control in the second quarter, with the undermanned Vixens struggling to contain Donnell Wallam without Rudi Ellis and Emily Mannix. The margin quickly blew out to 23-13 as errors continued to hurt the visitors, including a held ball call against Austin.
Ally O’Connor made her Suncorp Super Netball debut at wing defence, while Karin Burger starred defensively as the home side tightened their grip on the contest. With the deficit stretching to 12 goals, the Vixens searched for answers bringing on Lily Graham for Austin and later handing Ruby Pekin-Schlicht her Super Netball debut.
The visitors relied heavily on super shots to stay in touch, but the Lightning were content to steadily build their lead. Graham provided a late spark with three super shots to close the half, though the Lightning still headed into the main break ahead 33-24.
The Vixens threw plenty of changes at the contest in the third quarter, shifting Kate Moloney into wing attack and Sophie Garbin into goal attack as they searched for a spark. But the Lightning defence continued to suffocate the visitors, preventing them from building any meaningful momentum.
The margin stretched to 14 goals heading into the Power Five period, with frustrations beginning to show for the unbeaten Vixens. Graham returned to the court as Garbin made way, but the Lightning remained composed in attack and clinical under pressure.
It was a dominant quarter from the hosts, who continued to dictate terms while the Vixens looked nothing like the side that had dominated the season thus far.
Wallam capped the term in style with a Suncorp Super Shot on the buzzer to hand the Lightning a commanding 49-36 lead at the final break.
The Lightning finished strongly to complete a dominant performance over the Vixens, continuing to capitalise on Melbourne’s errors across the court. Karin Burger produced another defensive highlight, plucking a stunning intercept from a wayward Vixens’ pass.
With the visitors flat and desperately chasing super shots, the Lightning remained composed, led by a Player of the Match display from Leesa Mi Mi, who finished with 17 goal assists, 26 feeds, a gain and a deflection.
The Vixens landed six successful Suncorp Super Shots late to reduce the margin, but the Lightning comfortably closed out a 66-56 victory.
