Dunedin qualified for the quarterfinals despite losing its final group match at the national championships in Wellington last night.
North Harbour beat Dunedin 54-38, but the 2012-13 champion did enough to finish second in pool B with three wins from its four matches.
A win against Harbour would have set up a more fancied match-up against Southland, but Otago will now play Wellington, a team which includes Silver Ferns great Irene van Dyk, this afternoon for a spot in tomorrow's semifinals.
Wellington also boasts Central Pulse shooter Ameliaranne Wells, Pulse midcourter Elias Shadrock and Southern Steel defender Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit.
Dunedin coach Deb Tasi-Cordtz said her team would need to be more consistent than it was against North Harbour to topple Wellington.
Her side played well in patches, but only managed five goals in the first quarter.
''It's going to take more of what we saw today, but a whole hour of it,'' Tasi-Cordtz said.
''It's do or die for us. We're all fully fit, that's one thing going for us - our youth, fitness and enthusiasm.''
North Harbour utilised its big guns - Silver Ferns players Phoenix Karaka, Malia Paseka and Temalisi Fakahokotau - against Dunedin to good effect. It also unleashed 2m shooter Megan Craig, who recently signed with the Northern Mystics.
Dunedin shooter Jennifer O'Connell, a year 13 pupil at Waitaki Girls' High School, was not fazed by the opposition.
She shot 27 from 33 with Karaka and Fakahokotau defending her.
''We were up against it. It was really good to see the young girls enjoying the challenge,'' Tasi-Cordtz said.
Dunedin trailed 13-5 after the first quarter, 24-15 at halftime and 40-25 at threequarter time.
After comfortably beating Wanganui and Hawkes Bay on Monday, Dunedin beat Hutt Valley 60-38 in its first match yesterday.
The winner of today's quarterfinal, which starts at 3pm, will play either Christchurch or Hamilton in the semifinals tomorrow.
