The Otago Goldrush has had a little help from a netballer to get its campaign back on track.
The defending champion had 63-48 win against neighbour Southland in Wellington yesterday morning, thanks to some heroics from former Silver Ferns shooter Jodi Brown.
Brown used her netball shooting skills to good effect and top-scored with 17 points.
The result was warmly welcomed, after the disappointment of the opening qualifying tournament in Nelson in June, which left Otago's title prospects hanging by the frayed edge of a thin thread.
The Goldrush lost three of its four games in Nelson and needs to win at least four of its six games in Wellington to qualify for the top tier of the finals in Dunedin next month.
The frontrunner, Hutt Valley Flyers, suffered its first defeat, losing 68-58 to the Taranaki Trojans, yesterday. Forwards Terai Sadler (23 points) and Josie Stockill (21) did the bulk of the scoring for the Trojans.
Otago played Waitakere Auckland Rangers in the late game last night.
