LIVE COMMENTARY (Be sure to refresh your browser)
Stars - 49 Tactix - 43
FULLTIME - The Tactix have been stunned by the underdog Stars here, the Aucklanders completely outplaying the Southerners.
00:30 - Couple of consolation buckets for the Tactix. Far too litlle, far too late.
1:14 - Wilson with the showtime floater. Time for a double team from the Tactix.
2:50 - Wilson crashes the offensive boards and earns a put back. The Stars are running the show now.
4:20 - Teams trading pairs of goals. That won't be enough for the Cantabs.
5:40 - Wilson's stroke is unflappable. Stars by nine.
7:44 - Prosser makes her fifth for the Tactix.
10:37 - Tactix bank b2b buckets. Turnover gifts the ball back to the Stars and they push the lead back to seven.
11:30 - Wilson adds another to her account to get the final stanza started.
End of third quarter (37-29)
00:20 - Selby-Rickit sinks one at the buzzer but the Aucklanders are well and truly in the driver's seat.
1:30 - Turnover central for the Tactix. Wilson accepts the spoils and it's all net.
3:05 - Wilson is making it rain. The lead is out to nine.
5:15 - Kara keeps finding those seams in the defence. Wilson obliges by splashing a couple more.
7:30 - Wilson on the money. Stars' lead stays at five.
8:50 - Bird is looking like her namesake Larry out there. Raining buckets.
10:10 - Fakahokotau strong on the boards, snatches another contested rebound in traffic.
10:30 - Grace Kara, playing in her 150th game, drops a dime of her own for Wilson to sink another.
11:40 - Selby-Rickit starts by flinging a pinpoint long ball for Bird to score from point-blank range.
Second half underway...
HALFTIME
00:30 - Tactix pull back a goal as time expires. They look like the team that played yesterday, at the moment.
1:25 - Stars are on fire here. Seven-goal streak extends their lead to eight.
4:15 - Stars push out to a four-goal lead, playing at a fast pace with some brillaint shooting from Wilson.
8:15 - The teams continue to trade baskets, while both defences keep matters tight.
11:12 - Tactix tie things up swiftly.
End of first quarter (Tactix 13-12)
3:30 - Wilson looking spry in the circle. Hits another to make it 7/7.
4:30 - Fakahokotau with another steal. Bird and Wilson trade buckets.
7:30 - Wilson cuts the Tactix lead to one. Ioane nabs the intercept, and Fakahokotau returns the favour.
8:20 - Turnovers both way, as both sides play some physical defence.
10:10 - Kate Burley intercepts and Stars go ahead.
11:15 - Maia Wilson gets the scoring started for the Stars. Tactix equalise quickly.
We're underway...
7pm - The final matchup of round two is upon us. Tip-off just around the corner.
Kia ora and welcome to play-by-play coverage, as the Northern Stars look to bounce back against the Canterbury Tactix.
We bring you live streaming written commentary, video highlights (be sure to refresh your browser) and all the action.
Commentary will start from around 7pm. In the meantime check out the video above for a preview of tonight's game.
Betting odds:
Stars - $7 Tactix - $1.06
Pre-match banter
Gordon helps Pulse stun Stars
Youngster Maddy Gordon has cemented her place among Central Pulse starters with a standout performance in their ANZ Premiership win over Northern Stars on Sunday.
The Wellington-based team smashed their rivals 63-39 in a rematch of 2019 finalists, where the Pulse won by four.
The fresh-faced 20-year-old was part of the winning side last year, yet only played one or two quarters every few games, when results and point difference allowed.
On Sunday, she was part of the starting combo at wing attack, after a rapid rise up the ranks. The first quarter was close between the two teams, with the Pulse only leading by one at the end of the opening 12 minutes.
But halfway through the second quarter, Gordon’s attacking energy and communication with shooters Aliyah Dunn and Ameliaranne Ekenasio helped the team edge ahead.
Both shooters had great accuracy stats, with Dunn slotting 44 of her 46 attempts and Ekenasio landing 19 of her 21, mostly due to the young midcourter's pinpoint feeds underneath goal. She had 19 goal assists throughout the 48 minutes, along with 24 circle feeds.
In each of the second and third quarters, the Stars only managed eight goals, while reigning champions poured on 21 in the second and 17 in the third.
The Stars defence struggled to keep up with Gordon's speed, as she whizzed from one side of the court to the other, always on the lookout for loose balls. Over the four quarters, she had seven pick-ups and gains.
Last year's runner-ups managed to bring the scoring back in the fourth quarter. The Pulse only added one more point to their lead, with coach Yvette McCausland-Durie replacing players like Gordon and Kelly Jury, so their benchwarmers got a runaround.
Gordon won Player of the Match honours, showing she's an exciting and talented player for the Pulse, and one to look out for on the Silver Ferns development squad.
The Stars have a tight turnaround, when they play Mainland Tactix on Monday night, while the Pulse don't play again until next Monday.
