A triumphant Tungamah has given the Picola District Netball League another shake-up after a stunning 50-42 win on Saturday.
The Bears ensured they remain in the A-grade top four conversation with the win, trimming the gap on the second-placed Bombers back to within four points.
Bears mentor Jayanna Sharp said a strong focus on a four-quarter effort was the difference on Saturday.
“Our goal yesterday as a team was to maintain our momentum for four quarters,” she said.
“We sometimes have big lulls and lose momentum, we decided yesterday as a team to maintain the ball and focus on consistency.
“Yesterday was a great team game.”
Sharp said a fast-starting Waaia opponent kicked her side into gear, and an even contribution from her entire side was what got them over the line.
“Waaia were super strong, they came out of the gate quick and really set a standard for us down the track,” she said.
“We had a discussion with the girls after the game, we didn’t pick an individual, we normally have a players-player but all eight girls did their job and did exactly what was required of them.
“From a coaches perspective, Tahnee Pierce had really good game in wing defence, she worked really hard and shut down their wing attack.”
A Katandra match-up next week serves as Tungamah’s final fixture before a bye in round 18.
With just two regular season rounds remaining, Sharp said a highly competitive year had been a compliment to the league and its coaches.
“There’s going to be a lot of good sides coming up unto the eight and there’s no-one in there you can underestimate, they are all solid sides,” she said.
“It’s a massive compliment to the league, A-grade has been at a really good level this year, credit to the coaches who have done some hard yards.”
Elsewhere this weekend, Katamatite secured a dominant 62-24 win over Blighty, cruising into equal fourth with Tungamah on 44 points.
Katandra managed a 49-29 win over Tocumwal, while Jerilderie also kept finals hopes alive with a narrow 47-38 win over Deni Rovers.
Strathmerton were too strong for Rennie in its 60-26 win, opening up a four-point gap at the top after Waaia’s loss.