The Silver Ferns have recorded consecutive Constellation Cup wins over Australia with a superb performance in the second test at Tauranga on Sunday.
Led by some red-hot shooting and powered by another outstanding display at wing attack by the relentless Peta Toeava, the Ferns closed out just their second back-to-back win on home soil in the trans-Tasman series' history.
The teams now head across the Tasman for the away leg of the four-game series, where Australia will need to win the final two games and claim a superior goal shooting percentage to prevent the Constellation Cup remaining in New Zealand for another year.
Grace Nweke was a colossus in the circle and the Australian defence - again - had no answer for the silky combination with her Mystics sidekick Toeava, as she finished the game with a perfect shooting success rate of 100 percent (37/37).
Circle cohort Ameliaranne Ekenasio (15/19) rebounded from her relatively shaky shooting in the first test, despite some late wobbles in the last quarter.
In fact, the NZ shooters went almost three full quarters without a miss, until Ekenasio's final-minute shot hit the front rim to break their astonishing streak.
At the other end of the court, Phoenix Karaka and Kelly Jury continued their menacing defensive ways from the first test, clocking up deflections and making the Diamonds shooters earn every basket.
There was no sign of the slow start that hampered the Australians in the first quarter in the first test, as the teams traded goals in a defensive tussle to take a one-goal advantage into the first break.
In the second quarter, Australia did a great job of slowing the Ferns' flow of ball and keeping them pinned in the middle third.
The NZ defence was also making life difficult for the Diamonds midcourters, deflecting several passes into the centre circle.
But Steph Wood ensured any successful Australian excursions were put to good use, hitting multiple long-range goals in a near flawless shooting display in the first half.
Counterparts Nweke and Ekeneasio were even better, rounding out a perfect half of shooting ball, as the Silver Ferns entered the halftime break trailing 25-24.
The New Zealanders began the third quarter with plenty of intent, reeling off three straight goals to surge into the lead.
Led by the tireless Toeava, the Ferns extended to a six-goal advantage towards the end of the third quarter, with the Kiwis yet to miss an attempt on goal.
Ekenasio's miss from range in the final minute of the third quarter broke New Zealand's shooting streak, but nonetheless, they carried a five-goal advantage into the fourth quarter.
Karaka and Jury ramped up their intensity in the final quarter and the NZ shooters did the rest. The Australians managed to reduce their seven-goal deficit down to four in the dying stages but never genuinely threatened the Kiwis' lead.
The third test takes place at Melbourne on Wednesday, before the final match on the Gold Coast next Sunday.
Silver Ferns 52 (Nweke 37/37, Ekenasio 15/19) Australia 48 (Koenen 21/25, Wood 21/23, Dwyer 6/7)
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