Another tick in the win column, a successful night for Shannon Saunders’ 150th match and the Georgie Salter Memorial Trophy secured.
But most of all, this was a statement.
In the space of five weeks, the Steel has turned a 20-goal loss to the Northern Mystics into a five-goal win.
It withstood an early barrage and worked its way into the game, claiming a 64-59 win over the table-toppers in Invercargill yesterday.
The result also ended the Mystics’ four-match winning streak, while giving the Steel back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
Most crucially it has shown this team is capable of competing with the ANZ Premiership front-runners, should they face them in a playoff match later this year.
"I think with the Mystics they have got strength right throughout the court,’’ Steel coach Reinga Bloxham said.
"I have no doubt they’re going to be sort of at the top of the table at the end of this competition.
"I think the biggest excitement for me was being able to execute our gameplan and know that we can do it, if we have to do it.
"I think it will give us confidence going forward, for whoever we meet — especially knowing we have the right gameplan in place if we do execute it, so we can beat them [the Mystics] if we need to.’’
Early on it had threatened to go much the same way as the first two meetings of the teams.
Mystics goal shoot Grace Nweke was an easy target and while her shot was off — she hit at just 85% — she was able to get the rebound on her misses.
That helped them out to a 10-3 lead, as the Mystics defensive duo Phoenix Karaka and Sulu Fitzpatrick proved difficult to navigate.
The Steel pegged that back, and while it let things slip away again, a run late in the second quarter left it trailing 30-29.
Both Kate Burley and Sarahpheinna Woulf began coming up with ball, while the Mystics’ attacking end started to look disconnected for the first time this season.
Nweke, who was dominant in the Steel’s first two matches against the Mystics, became less of a factor.
That enabled the Steel to edge in front, as George Fisher showed her class in the shooting circle, while Saviour Tui came on for Georgia Heffernan to connect on 12 of her 13 shots.
A five-goal run midway through the third quarter opened up a 46-41 gap and from there the Steel clung on to its lead through to the end.
Bloxham said last week’s comeback win over the Central Pulse had been significant from a belief perspective.
However, the Steel also knew the Mystics had the ability to score quickly and had come up with plans for how to respond if they did.
"I think sometimes we slowed the flow of the ball going into [Nweke],’’ Bloxham said.
"That was definitely an aim of ours, to make them work a bit harder to get the ball into her.
"When we were able to do that, that’s when we were able to put them under pressure and it was successful.
"Then sometimes it was one or two passes and in it went.
"So it sort of humbles you in that moment and makes you work really hard to keep that pressure on to keep doing it.’’
The win pulls the Steel to within two points of the Mystics at the top of the ANZ Premiership table, after six matches.
The Northern Stars beat the Mainland Tactix 63-51 in the weekend’s other match.
