Their winless streak this season stretched to five matches when Southern Steel overcame a sluggish start to win 50-44 at their temporary home venue of the Southland Velodrome in Invercargill.
The Pulse, with just two wins behind them in the three and a bit seasons of the ANZ Championship, began with the momentum of a runaway train to lead 10-3, then 14-6 and 16-8 by the end of the first quarter.
The Steel, with only one win from four this term themselves, were suffocated in the midcourt and it took all of 12 minutes before their enigmatic goal shoot Daneka Wipiiti managed to pull the trigger and have a shot at goal.
The hosts ended the quarter having made just eight goal attempts, while the Pulse, with Caitlin Thwaites busy and continually searching for work, put up 20 shots.
Wily Steel coach Robyn Broughton introduced quality Australian centre Natasha Chokljat for the second stanza, in place of a fumbling Wendy Frew, and she immediately added spark and energy.
In her first match for the team after overcoming a calf strain Chokljat was an instrumental figure in the Steel lifting their work rate to get back into the contest.
Although the Pulse kept their mistakes to a minimum the home side at last had the momentum which they rode to a 25-24 lead in the dying seconds before halftime as the feeders started to find Wipiiti under the basket.
The Steel extended their advantage after the main break on the back of the superior accuracy of Wipiiti and her goal attack Paula Griffin, with this pair missing just four shots between them as the hosts enjoyed their three-quarter sit down ahead 39-33.
The Pulse, whose self belief must be fragile after so many defeats, were never going to pull this match out of the fire at this point and the Steel calmly sealed the deal by protecting that six-goal difference until the end.
Wipiiti finished the match had a return of 21 from 26 while Griffin was a standout as she contributed 29 from 34.
Pulse shooters Thwaites and Amber Bellringer had returns of 26 from 32 and 18 from 24 respectively.
The start of the match was delayed for 10 minutes due to a leak in the roof of the cycling velodrome.
