Zoe Richards scored 30 points as Ajax demolished the Andy Bay Falcons 79-47 in their women’s club semifinal on Tuesday night.
Tia Pavihi followed that with 34 points, as the South Pac Magic edged Varsity 76-69 in a thriller straight after.
The results leave Ajax to play the South Pac Magic in next week’s final.
It is the first time the old foes have met in three years, before which they met in six consecutive finals.
The team that upset that run was Varsity, who end their reign as two-time defending champions.
They gave the Magic all they had, though.
Guard Maddie Kerr grabbed 26 points for the students in a stellar display, while forward Fay Fualau-Searle had 24 points for the Magic to join Pavihi in leading the way.
It was a run early in the fourth quarter that proved decisive.
Abby Harris (19 points) had just scored twice to give Varsity a 58-57 lead with eight minutes to play.
A handful of missed baskets followed both ways, before the Magic were able to step into their press and force a half-court trap.
That forced a shaky reversal pass, which Kiana Brown hustled from the trap to dive on, before passing up to Pavihi to lay it in.
It was the play that gave the Magic a lead they would not give up.
It also sparked a 9-0 run, which was capped by a three-pointer from Brown to make it 66-58.
Varsity came firing back, but Pavihi and Fualau-Searle kept the score ticking over to ensure the Magic emerged winners.
Earlier Kerr shot well to help Varsity to an 18-11 lead, which the Magic reeled in by hitting Fualau-Searle down low.
Varsity led 23-20 at quarter-time, and stayed ahead 34-32 at halftime after a rough second quarter.
Kerr and Pavihi went on a run of their own each in the third quarter, Varsity taking a lead before the Magic hauled them in.
Kerr and Harris again helped Varsity to a 53-47 lead, before the Magic went back to the bigs to lead 55-54 at three-quarter time.
That stayed tight, until the run ignited from the trap and Brown’s hustle.
In the other semifinal, Ajax blew the game open in the second quarter to lead 42-24 at halftime, a lead which grew to 67-33 at three-quarter time.
Alongside Richards’ 30 points, Elise Gilbert had 22.
Alexa Duff was the only Falcon to reach double figures, posting 15 points.
