The Central Pulse have secured top spot in the ANZ Premiership with a historic 49-34 win over the Southern Steel on Saturday night.
The 15-goal win was the Pulse's first at ILT Stadium Southland since the inception of the competition three years ago.
On top of the win, the Pulse celebrated captain Katrina Rore's 200th league match and Yvette McCausland-Durie's 100th game as coach of the Wellington-based franchise.
Coming off an upset win over the Northern Mystics 24 hours earlier the Steel were full of confidence, but they were no match for the Pulse, who were coming off their first defeat of the season - also against the Mystics.
The Pulse stamped their mark early in a dominant opening quarter as they led 16-7 at the first break.
The Steel struggled to match the Pulse's intensity on defence with Rore and Kelly Dury proving a nuisance, while shooters Aliyah Dunn and Ameliaranne Ekenasio were red-hot inside the circle as the visitors led 26-16 at halftime.
The Pulse blew the game wide open in the third quarter and by the end of the quarter, the result was already beyond doubt, taking a 38-23 lead into the last break.
Both teams made changes in the final quarter, but that had little impact on the score as the Pulse claimed their 11th win of the season to hold a 13-point buffer over the second placed Mainland Tactix.
The Pulse will have to wait to see who they'll play in the August 23rd grand final, with the = Tactix and Mystics battling it out for the final spot.
Both teams square off in Auckland on Sunday and the winner will be in the box seat to face the Pulse in the title decider, with one round remaining.
Southern Steel 34 (Kalifa McCollin 19/22, Ellen Halpenny 13/18, Grace Namana 2/2, Kiana Pelasio 0/2) Central Pulse 49 (Aliyah Dunn 30/32, Ameliaranne Ekenasio 19/20).
