NSW Swifts coach Rob Wright has praised his side's composure after they held off the Melbourne Vixens to secure a spot in the Australian conference of the trans-Tasman championships.
The match looked won when the Swifts led by eight goals early in the third quarter, but playing at home with captain Bianca Chatfield for the last time, the Vixens rallied and turned the deficit into a two goal lead by midway through the final term.
In the final minutes it was the Swifts who lifted their defensive game when wing defence Abbey McCulloch won a high ball contest creating a turnover on the Vixens goal circle.
As the momentum of the game shifted again, the Swifts ran out four of the last five goals to win 52-48.
"At two (goals) up the game is there to be won and we blew it" said Vixens coach Simone McKinnis.
"I can't be happy with a nice try."
The result sealed the fate of both teams.
The Swifts qualified for the finals and the Vixens' spluttering title defence was finally over.
"We haven't talked about the finals at all," said Wright.
"With a road trip to Melbourne, and then a road trip to Perth, it was always going to be tough.
"They are both such good sides and I thought, 'oh, we could lose both of those and not be there'. So we have never talked about it."
The Swifts travel to Perth next week to play West Coast Fever, the winner securing second spot on the conference ladder.
"I think it was absolutely the perfect game for us, now that we have actually secured a finals spot. Because you need that tough stuff when the heat was on, and we were composed in the end," Wright said.
For the Vixens a season marred by a serious knee injury to star wing attack Madi Robinson never found the heights of 2014.
"It is hugely disappointing," said McKinnis.
"It was great to see girls fight and play well today, but overall it is a very disappointing season and that goes back to the start of the year really."
Young players Jo Weston, Chloe Watson, Kate Moloney and Lizzie Watson were given more court time and responsibility creating McKinnis' highpoint of the season, but it was in the end a poor one for the perennial finalists who miss the play offs for the first time since 2011.
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