By Rosie Gale
The Adelaide Thunderbirds have stunned ladder leaders and reigning premiers West Coast Fever after a thrilling 1-point victory in the dying seconds at RAC Arena.
Fever were in control heading into the final term with a five goal lead, but the home side tired and the Thunderbirds took full advantage.
An Eleanor Cardwell Super Shot in the dying seconds secured the 64-63 victory.
The clash shaped up to be a battle of two premiership-contending teams, with both teams undefeated through five rounds.
Shamera Sterling was a standout performer against the Fever, with 84 Nissan Net Points to her name.
After a quick Fever goal to start the match, Jhaniele Fowler, who was outstanding throughout the contest, scored the first goal, but the Thunderbirds responded quickly.
Fever held momentum for the entire match but the Thunderbirds never panicked, trailing the top team with patience and poise. Georgie Horjus was excellent and got through the Fever’s defence, she found Tippah Dwan and Cardwell in open space, with seven goal assists, seven centre pass receives, and 10 feeds.
At Power Five time Sasha Glasgow got hands to the ball and the team in green were as fast as lightning with the pick up and conversion down the other end.
Glasgow impressed with the first Super Shot of the match, and an opportunity at the other end did not pay off, with a missed Super Shot from Cardwell.
With Fever’s possession, the lead extended out to eight with two minutes to go. Cardwell missed another Super Shot but Tippah Dwan was able to pull in the rebound and steady a shot under the post.
Glasgow retaliated with yet another Super Shot before Cardwell managed to sink one in. However, the Thunderbirds were not going down without a fight as Matilda Garrett's dogged defensive display earned her a crucial intercept. This proved to be a game-changing moment as the Thunderbirds clawed their way back into the contest, narrowing the gap to just three points (20-17).
The Thunderbirds were determined to make a comeback in the second quarter. Georgie Horjus was excellent in attack, racking up an impressive 41 Nissan Net Points in the first half.
The Thunderbirds started with an early turnover which was rewarded with a goal from Dwan and a centre-pass conversion.
After a few minutes of back-and-forth, a tactical time-out was called by Fever coach Dan Ryan.
The Fever did well to craft their way through the Thunderbird’s strong defensive pressure and Fowler slotted in yet another goal for the Fever.
Then, in a breathtaking display of athleticism, Courtney Bruce pulled off a stunning aerial grab, which allowed the green team to launch a swift counter-attack
With just over five minutes to go in the second quarter, the Thunderbirds called another tactical time-out. The team showed patience and resilience in the Power Five, piercing through the Fever’s box defence.
Glasgow scored her third Super Shot with four minutes left on the clock in the second term.
A second tactical time-out was called and Rudy Ellis replaced Sunday Aryang in GK and Bruce shifted out to GD.
The Thunderbirds showed some hesitancy in the shooting circle, and a missed Super Shot gave the Fever the opportunity to capitalise and score.
The connection between Eleanor Cardwell and Tippah Dwan was seamless as ever, but a few uncharacteristic missed goals saw the opportunity stolen by the Fever, shifting momentum into the break.
However, an obstruction call against Bruce allowed Dwan to score a penalty Super Shot on the buzzer, bringing the score back to 31-35 at halftime.
The Thunderbirds came out firing in the second half with their clinical ball movement and excellent reads from Sterling and Tayla Williams.
Latanya Wilson was a standout for the team in pink in the second half, creating doubts for the Fever in attack.
With the scoreline brought back to within one, the Thunderbirds put the ladder leaders under immense pressure in the third quarter. The Fever looked fatigued and struggled to flow on in attack at times.
Despite Dwan's missed Super Shot, the Thunderbirds maintained their composure, and an impressive intercept from Wilson presented them with a chance to regain momentum.
Glasgow delivered for the Fever with a Super Shot, but Cardwell missed her opportunity, rebounded by Ellis and scored by Fowler, giving the Fever a five goal lead at three quarter time.
In the final quarter, it was all about the pressure. Fowler shined with her controlled and poised attack, finishing the game with 93 Nissan NetPoints to her name. However, she had an uncharacteristic miss at the seven-minute mark, which was rebounded by Sterling and finished by Dwan, pushing it to a four-goal difference.
Despite this, Fever found a way to hold on, maintaining possession and pushing through.
Dwan continued to be a pest in defense and a strong response from Adelaide out of the tactical timeout brought the momentum back in their favour.
After two Super Shot attempts fell short from Glasgow, the Thunderbirds had a golden opportunity to tie it up. A tactical timeout from the home side was called with just under three minutes to go and four-goal difference.
Adelaide's Cardwell scored a Super Shot, bringing it back to two, and after their centre pass, she scored another, tying it up at 62 a piece.
The momentum was with Adelaide, as they looked up and about, and the reigning premiers appeared stunned. Glasgow missed a Super Shot, but Fowler scored under the post.
With just 30 seconds left on the clock, all eyes were on Eleanor Cardwell as she calmly stepped up and sank the final Super Shot, securing a hard-fought victory for the Thunderbirds and ending the undefeated streak of their opponents.
