The Giants have damaged their Tremendous Netball duck with a controversial and chaotic 86-80 extra time win over Sunshine Coast at Ken Rosewall Enviornment, after the Lightning had initially been declared victors amid a weird rating bench bungle.
The Lightning, believing they have been defending a one-goal lead, performed keepings-off within the final half-minute of regulation on Saturday night time, earlier than the fulltime siren sounded with the stadium scoreboard displaying them forward 71-70.
Gamers and coaches from each side shook fingers, Lightning shooter Cara Koenen was introduced participant of the match and upset followers started submitting out the exit doorways.
However there was a discrepancy with the ultimate scores, with Champion Knowledge declaring a 71-all draw.
The umpires and Lightning gamers had already headed to their rooms however the Giants stayed on the court docket, anticipating further time.
They have been adamant there had been a technical error and that the scores have been tied.
“We have been at all times very assured that it was a draw and we truly protested on the time that the rating was modified,” Giants coach Julie Fitzgerald mentioned in the course of the protracted 50-minute delay between the tip of regulation and the beginning of extra time.
“The gamers have been conscious it was a draw.
“After we got here off, we have been a bit bit bewildered.
“I might have thought that there could be some kind of provision in place for what ought to occur now.”
The stats bench furiously went again by way of the match feed and examined every fourth-quarter objective.
Twenty minutes after the fulltime bell, the stadium scoreboard was formally up to date to 71-71.
There was a contest rule change earlier than the season that drawn video games would require extra time, however an exception seemed an choice when it was thought the umpires had left the constructing.
The umpires ultimately emerged and have been re-microphoned, whereas the Lightning gamers additionally re-entered the sector.
“(We have been informed) that there was a rating evaluation and a drawn recreation,” Sunshine Coast coach Belinda Reynolds mentioned shortly earlier than play resumed.
“We’re a bit upset at that as a result of clearly we had possession within the final a part of the sport, which we might have performed so much in another way and gone to submit.”
Fitzgerald pulled off a shock teaching masterstroke to start extra time, changing captain Jo Harten with unused sub Matisse Letherbarrow.
The sharpshooting substitute duly nailed 9 targets, together with three tremendous pictures, because the Giants snatched the match away from Sunshine Coast with a 11-1 blast to start out the extension.
It was heartbreak for the Lightning for the second week in a row, after the Melbourne Mavericks pinched a miracle win from them final week.
Previous to the controversy, the match had been a high-class thriller, with no multiple objective separating the 2 sides at any break.
Koenen nailed her first 33 pictures whereas Lightning teammate and Diamonds skipper Liz Watson racked up a whopping 36 assists and 66 feeds.
On the different finish, Sophie Dwyer was a capturing pressure, Jamie-Lee Worth constant within the center and Letherbarrow the hero on the end.
AAP
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