That was the call from Southern Steel coach Wendy Frew at the third quarter break and it worked.
After leading 41-32 at the break, they forged ahead to beat the Central Pulse 52-43 in Wellington this afternoon.
And while it was far from the prettiest game from either side – littered with offensive contacts – the Steel notched their fifth consecutive win.
They set the platform in the third quarter, winning 15-10, to sit second on the ANZ Premiership ladder on goal percentage.
Aliyah Dunn was faultless with 34 from 34 and Georgia Heffernan’s load lifted with 18 points.
Carys Stythe had six gains in yet another strong game for the Steel goal keep.
But it was a real grind to get the win.
Stythe wrapped up Ine-Mari Venter at the back, making life hard for the ex-Southern African international to find her avenue to post.
The Pulse attackers struggled to put finesse on the feed – and the Steel pounced to a 9-2 lead.
That forced a Pulse time-out after the Steel went on a five-point unanswered run.
And it worked a treat. The Pulse were strong and found their connections through the back end of the quarter to trail 15-11 at the break.
The Pulse’s zone slowed down the Steel’s through court transition. But they kept it short and sharp to patiently punch through.
Holly Comyns plucked the ball over the top of Dunn, and the Pulse closed to within one.
The Pulse sat in a defensive box, pushing the Steel attackers wide and they lacked the option through the middle.
It became a physical battle between the two teams, as the Pulse hunted for their first win since round one.
Heffernan’s drive to the circle cut the Pulse defence as the Steel led 26-22 at halftime.
At times the Steel’s execution on attack waned, not taking the right option
Stythe made Venter work for everything, the Pulse shooter having to re-position several times.
She pressured her off the shot, forced several held balls and snaffled a rebound falling out of court.
Ameliaranne Ekenasio used her game smarts to direct the Pulse attack end, but the Steel limited the short options to the ball.
That helped the visitors gain an eight-point lead.
The Steel found better space on attack, used the width of the court and celebrated the small wins to lift their spirit across the court.
They led 41-32 at the break.
Kimiora Poi and Renee Savai’inaea’s work rate outside of the circle cannot be underestimated.
They trapped the Pulse midcourters wide and tracked them to the circle edge, blocking off the easy ball to slow down the Pulse’s attack.
The Pulse made a late surge – but Khayne-Lii Munro-Nonoa came around and flicked the ball away for the Steel.
ANZ Premiership
The scores
Southern Steel 52
Aliyah Dunn 34 (34/34), Georgia Heffernan 18 (18/24)
Central Pulse 43
Ine-Mari Venter 15 (15/21), Ameliaranne Ekenasio 18 (17/18), Khiarna Williams 10 (10/10
Quarter scores: Steel 15-11, 26-22, 41-32.
