Central Pulse shooter Aliyah Dunn has scored after the siren to give her team a nailbiting 51-50 ANZ Premiership win over Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic.
After a battle that saw nine lead changes and 14 ties, the result came down to the final seconds, when Magic attacker Bailey Mes dove over the baseline to save a missed shot and miraculously flicked the ball back through the goal to level the scores at 50-50.
Magic had the centrepass with 18 seconds remaining, but could not find a way into the shooting circle and Pulse goal defence Kristiana Manu'a stole the ball over in midcourt. Pulse fed the ball into their shooters, with Dunn winning a penalty as the siren sounded.
Coolly, she slotted the decider from mid-range, as her teammates celebrated their second win of a COVID-disrupted season. Playing alongside Silver Ferns goal attack Tiana Metuarau, Dunn showed bigtime temperament in the clutch.
"Honestly, it's always just out of the blue, really," said Metuarau, about the final shot. "I think that's part of our nature and partnership - it's very calm, and she's very calm and collected.
"I feel like she's one of the most consistent shooters in this league, so why not?"
Dunn and Metuarau combined for five unanswered goals in the opening quarter to create the first real lead of the game, as Pulse led 14-12 after the period and 26-25 at halftime.
Down the other end of the court, Ferns captain Ameliaranne Ekenasio continued her comeback from maternity leave, playing three quarters and shooting 18/21 to keep her side in the contest. During the third quarter, she and Mes also produced a five-goal outburst that gave the Magic a lead, but Pulse answered in kind to seize back momentum.
Down the stretch, Ekenasio made way for rookie Ivana Rowland, who helped drag the Magic back into contention inside the final moments, but not even a Mes miracle could get them over the line.
Dunn slotted 37/40 attempts on goal, while both Mes and Ekenasio converted at 86 percent.
The result elevates Pulse to second on the competition ladder, behind reigning champions Northern Mystics, while Magic have just one win from their four outings this season.
Both teams face Southern Steel next week - Magic on Saturday and Pulse on Monday.
Central Pulse 51 (Dunn 37/40, Metuarau 14/17) Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic 50 (Mes 24/28, Ekenasio 18/21, Rowland 8/10)
