The Adelaide Thunderbirds overcame a near-perfect shooting exhibition from the Giants and a deficit for most of the game to maintain their perfect start to the Super Netball season with a thrilling 56-54 home victory.
The Sydney-based Giants (0-5) belied their last-placed position on the ladder with a tenacious performance at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday.
The visitors led by seven goals less than four minutes before three-quarter time, but Adelaide (5-0) got the margin back to three by the final change and showed more composure down the stretch.
Georgie Horjus (10/10) nailed a Super Shot with 58 seconds left to give Adelaide a 55-54 lead, and the Thunderbirds kept possession for the rest of the game, with Elmere van der Berg (33/39) adding a goal four seconds from the end.
Diamonds star Horjus was massive down the stretch for Adelaide, making all three of her Super Shots in the last two and a half minutes, despite taking just one long-range shot through Adelaide’s first four games.
Giants shooters Matisse Letherbarrow (31/33) and Sophie Dwyer (20/21) didn’t miss any one-point shots, making all 48 of their combined attempts.
The Giants showed admirable patience in possession, trying to limit the influence of the Thunderbirds' high-flying Jamaican defenders Shamera Sterling-Humphrey and Latanya Wilson, though they still combined for five intercepts.
“They came with a game plan, especially for our defence line, keeping the ball low and short, well done to them,” Sterling-Humphrey told Fox Sport and Kayo.
Centre Casey Adamson excelled for the visiting team, with game-high tallies of 19 goal assists and 36 feeds.
The Giants led 15-11 at quarter-time and won the second quarter by one to lead 27-22 at halftime, then were 39-32 ahead deep into the third.
The Thunderbirds picked up their pressure and finished with seven more intercepts.
“The Giants put so much pressure on us at the start,” Horjus said.
“We just had a few technical errors, like bad passes.
“It’s good that we got the win in the end and we got through that pressure.
“I’m really proud of the girls for what we did in that last bit.”
Through their first four wins, Adelaide had lost just two quarters.
Victory sets up the biggest match of the season next Saturday, when Adelaide clash with the Melbourne Vixens at John Cain Arena in the battle of the two unbeaten teams.
