Alan Lee/Photosport
Grace Nweke had another good night for Mystics against the Steel (file photo).
At Edgar Centre, Dunedin: Northern Mystics 64 (Grace Nweke 47/48, Monica Falkner 17/19, Filda Vui 0/1) Southern steel 48 (Rescuer Tui 22/31, Esther Autagavaia 6/7, Georgia Heffernan 20/29). QT 16-14, HT 35-23, 3QT 51-36.
Northern Mystics marched to the top of the ANZ Premiership table on Saturday on the back of yet another near perfect shooting show from Silver Fern Grace Nweke in Dunedin.
Nweke missed just one of her 48 tries at the Edgar Center to lead the Mystics to a 64-48 victory over the Southern Steel, who fell to a sixth loss from as many games in 2023.
The Auckland visitors celebrated their fourth win and with a bonus point from their lone defeat moved past mainland Tactix into the league lead.
They did without skipper Sulu Fitzpatrick who was injured in their victory over the Northern Stars last Sunday.
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Nweke arrived at Dunedin with a 94.1 shooting percentage in 2023 – narrowly behind the Stars’ Maia Wilson’s 94.2% – and bettered it further as her counterpart Kate Burley had a torrid time in the circle.
The long looping passes from the Mystics midcourt hit their target regularly and Nweke slid into them all.
The Mystics led by just two in quarter time, but put their foot down after the break to take control at 35-23 at the main break.
Nweke’s shooting partner Monica Falkner also had a good night, shooting 17 of 19.
At the other end of the field, Mystics defenders Phoenix Karaka and substitute captain Michaela Sokolich-Beatson made an imposing duo as Steel shooters Savior Tui and Georgia Heffernan missed nine shots between them in the first half. Tui also hobbled off late in the game with what appeared to be an ankle injury.
The Mystics back up against the Pulse in Wellington on Monday night, while things don’t get any easier for the struggling Steel who take on the in-form Tactix in Christchurch on Easter Sunday.