Late Surge Not Enough for Silver Ferns in Constellation Cup

Late surge not enough for Silver Ferns in Constellation Cup opener

The Silver Ferns could not stop the Australian Diamonds from posting a 57-54 win in the opening Test of the Constellation Cup despite a stirring last quarter charge in Auckland tonight.

After trailing for much of the match, the Silver Ferns came agonisingly close in the final stanza, three times coming to within one of the Diamonds to raise hopes of snatching a late victory but unable to clinch the vital breakthrough.

A slow start in the opening stanza when the Silver Ferns trailed by four proved the difference in the end, the rest of the match being contested on level terms.

Both teams, once again, tested new-look combinations ahead of April’s Commonwealth Games and the four-Test Series which heads to Christchurch for the second match-up on Sunday holds plenty of interest between the two evenly-matched teams.

Read the full match report on silverferns.co.nz
CHAMPION DATA MATCH STATISTICS: click here

Veuve du Vernay MVP: Gabi Simpson (AUS)

Quarter-by-Quarter Scores

SILVER FERNS Q1: 13 – Q2: 25 (12) – Q3: 38 (13) – Q4: 54 (16)
AUSTRALIAN DIAMONDS | Q1: 17 – Q2: 29 (12) – Q3: 42 (13) – Q4: 57 (15)

Shooting Statistics

SILVER FERNS
Mes: 23/23 @ 100%
Tutaia: 31/37 @ 84%

AUSTRALIAN DIAMONDS

Bassett: 39/43 @ 91%
Pettitt: 10/14 @ 71%
Wood: 8/8 @ 100%

Starting Line-ups

SILVER FERNS GS Mes, GA Tutaia, WA Crampton, C Francois, WD Sinclair, GD Grant, GK Jury

AUSTRALIAN DIAMONDS | GS Bassett, GA Pettitt, WA Watson, C Ravaillion, WD Simpson, GD Brandley, GK Bruce

Positional Changes
SILVER FERNS

Q2: GS Tutaia, GA Mes
Q2 stoppage: GK Fakahokotau, WD Cullen
Q3 stoppage: C Sinclair

AUSTRALIAN DIAMINDS

Q3: GA Wood
Q4: C Watson, WA Nevins
Q4 stoppage: C Ravaillion, WA Watson

OFFICIAL HASHTAGS:

#ConstellationCup | #NZLvAUS | #SilverFans

ENDS

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