Fiji staged a strong comeback in the final quarter to edge USC Thunder 54-50 at the USC Stadium in their final game of the PacAus Netball Series last night.
Having trailed the host side in the first three quarters, the Fiji Pearls had to dig deep in the final quarter to secure the win which was also their second in five games.
USC Thunder, one of the host development teams in the competition, did not waste time winning the first three quarters 16-9, 31-22, 41-38 before Fiji fired back in the final session of play, bagging 16 to USC’s nine to claim the victory.
Of Fiji’s points, Maliana Rusivakula scored 30, Unaisi Rauluni, eight, and 16 Lydia Panapasa.
Overall Fiji played five games, three of which they lost, 55-74 to Tonga, 59-56 at the hands of the Samoans, and 34-58 to an Australian Pathway team outfit. Their only other win was in the fourth round where they beat Papua New Guinea Pepes 67-46.
The win also cemented the national side’s fifth-place finish in the standings in the six-team competition, which was also a far cry from how they finished in the first round of the series that was held in Sydney in April.
Tonga Tala lead the standings after beating Samoa 72-48, for their fifth win in five games. The competition ends today with the grand finale at 4 pm (Fiji Time).
