Round two of Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) took place over the weekend, with the ANZ Premiership entering its fourth round, and there were plenty of Vitality Roses involved across both competitions Down Under.
GIANTS Netball hit 66 goals for the second consecutive game in their 66-54 triumph over Collingwood Magpies, who were without captain Geva Mentor as she missed her first ever SSN match due to lower back soreness.
The Magpies struggled to contain a potent GIANTS attacking lineup in Mentor’s absence, with her Vitality Roses teammate Jo Harten scoring 33 goals from 35 attempts.
🔥DOMINANT!🔥
A Super Shot for the Giants is a fitting end to an incredibly one-sided opening quarter! The Giants lead 19-8!
Watch: @Channel9
#9WWOS #9Netball #SSNGiantsMagpies pic.twitter.com/pAUc15W9uc
— 9Netball (@9Netball) May 8, 2021
In Saturday’s second match, West Coast Fever powered past New South Wales Swifts 63-55 despite trailing at halftime.
Helen Housby inflicted damage in the opening quarter on a Fever rearguard featuring Stacey Francis at wing-defence, but the hosts won the subsequent three periods to secure an impressive win with Nat Haythornthwaite unable to make the difference off the bench for the Swifts.
The final Vitality Rose in action was Kate Shimmin on Sunday as she came off the bench to help Sunshine Coast Lightning clinch a 56-51 victory at Melbourne Vixens
Lightning were 11 goals up at halftime before last year’s champions reduced the deficit but they couldn’t prevent a second straight loss to start their title defence.
In the ANZ Premiership, Southern Steel didn’t make any substitutions in their 59-45 reverse at unbeaten Northern Stars on Sunday.
George Fisher found space hard to come by against a well-drilled Stars defence who restricted Steel to comfortably their lowest score of the season so far, but the Vitality Rose still managed to put up 34/37.
Elsewhere, 2018 Commonwealth Games champion Ama Agbeze was an unused substitute in Northern Mystics massive 58-47 win at Central Pulse.
Suncorp Super Netball Round 3 fixtures
Saturday 15 May at 06:00am (BST) – Collingwood Magpies vs Adelaide Thunderbirds
Saturday 15 May at 10:00am (BST) – Sunshine Coast Lightning vs West Coast Fever
Sunday 16 May at 04:00am (BST) – New South Wales Swifts vs Melbourne Vixens
Sunday 16 May at 08:00am (BST) – GIANTS Netball vs Queensland Firebirds
ANZ Premiership Round 5 fixtures
Sunday 16 May at 05:15am (BST) – Central Pulse vs Southern Steel
Monday 17 May at 07:15am (BST) – Mainland Tactix vs Northern Mystics
The ANZ Premiership is free to watch live and on demand here
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