The Central Pulse prevailed in a top of the table clash against the Southern Steel in Wellington on Monday night.
The hosts fought back from a seven-goal halftime deficit to clinch a 54-50 win and claim the number one spot in the ANZ Premiership standings.
The result stretches their undefeated streak to five games, and exacted some revenge for their loss to the same opponents in last year's final.
They were led by stand-out shooter Ameliaranne Ekenasio, who came on as an inujury replacement for teenage hot-shot Aliyah Dunn.
The Silver Fern proceeded to record her best performance of the season to date, nailing 92 percent of her attempts on goal to lift the locals in the second half.
The 28-year-old earned MVP honours, and felt she was finally starting to find a rhythm to her game.
"It seems like it's taken a few rounds to get there," said Ekenasio post-game. "But just so stoked with the win. It took us all to get there tonight."
Captain Katrina Rore echoed those sentiments, putting the second-stanza fightback down to simplifying their approach.
"We were too busy trying to overthink things," said Rore. "We maybe went away from our natural game a wee bit.
"We needed to read what was happening rather than go in there with certain things in our mind. Everyone stepped up, I thought."
The Pulse will look to keep their momentum going against the Mainland Tactix at Trusts Arena on Sunday.
Newshub.
