The Lighting trailed by as many as eight goals early in the grand final rematch but refused to give up, clawing their way back and hitting the front in the third quarter.
The final quarter was a genuine arm-wrestle with desperate scraps for the ball and the teams trading goals. The Giants looked like securing the win with a turnover inside the last 90 seconds, but their tactic of playing the ball around to eat up time backfired, with an passing error that allowed the Lightning to level the scores once again.
Harten chipped in with a final goal for the Giants, leaving the Lightning 10 seconds to conjure a score of their own, and when Bassett was contacted while grabbing a high ball, the resulting goal was enough to deliver a thrilling draw.
Caitlin Bassett shot a penalty goal after the final siren to lock up the scores, with both sides securing two competition points, along with two bonus points each.
Neither side sprung any selection shocks to start the game, although Giants coach Julie Fitzgerald did rotate her shooters in Susan Pettitt and Jo Harten, starting Pettitt back at goal shooter.
The Lightning were desperate for a win, coming into this match in sixth place on the Rebel Sport ladder with just three victories to date – although they sat just four points behind the second-placed Giants.
The Lightning were battered 19-9 in the first quarter against the Swifts last week, but made a stronger start this time around with the first three goals of the match.
The defensive pressure in the backcourt and the dynamic attacking line-up of the Giants made the job difficult for the Lightning, though, with the visitors clawing their way back and opening up a four-goal lead late in the quarter. That pushed out to a 17-12 quarter time advantage with the Giants claiming the first bonus point of the match.
That lead quickly pushed out to eight goals in the second quarter as Kim Green led a centre court assault that the Lightning could not counter.
Gradually, the Lightning grafted their way back into the game and began to find their target in Bassett. The home side battled furiously until the half-time siren, claiming a valuable bonus point and closing the gap to just four goals.
The Lightning continued to toil, but the Giants held them at arm’s length with the Bec Bulley and Sam Poolman’s defensive pressure standing tall.
That was until the late stages of the quarter, when the determined Lightning drew level with the Giants for the first time since the opening minutes. The roof was almost lifted off USC Stadium when a furious scrap for the ball landed in Bassett’s hands and she drained a last-second goal to steal the lead at the end of the third quarter.
Q1: Lightning 12 v Giants 17
Q2: Lightning 13 v Giants 12
Q3: Lightning 16 v Giants 11
Q4: Lightning 12 v Giants 13
Suncorp Super Netball premiership points
Lightning 4
Giants 4
Lightning shooting statistics
Caitlin Bassett 40/44
Steph Wood 13/16
GIANTS shooting statistics
Jo Harten 30/33
Susan Pettitt 21/25
Lightning starting seven
GS: Caitlin Bassett, GA: Steph Wood, WA: Kelsey Browne, C: Laura Scherian, WD: Madeline McAulliffe, GD: Karla Pretorius, GK: Geva Mentor
GIANTS starting seven
GS: Susan Pettitt, GA: Jo Harten, WA: Kim Green, C: Serena Guthrie, WD: Jamie-Lee Price, GD: Bec Bulley, GK: Sam Poolman
Nissan MVP: Geva Mentor
