University of Newcastle have booked another grand final appearance with a thrilling 51-49 extra-time win over Souths in Newcastle championship netball at National Park on Saturday.
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University of Newcastle led at each break of the qualifying final between the competition's two top sides but Souths fought back to level the score at 45-45 by the end of the fourth quarter to send the match into 10 minutes of extra time.
The damage was done in the first five-minute block with University scoring four unanswered goals to be ahead 49-45 heading into the second period.
![Goal shooter Millie Tonkin had another strong game as University of Newcastle booked passage to the grand final. Picture by Peter Lorimer Goal shooter Millie Tonkin had another strong game as University of Newcastle booked passage to the grand final. Picture by Peter Lorimer](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ikLFZZUcNnvgygfqz78ZET/acaa898c-0ca8-463d-a05e-8a7cff4affa6.JPG/r0_212_3968_2655_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Coach Traci Baber said University's ability to hold their nerve under fire and being able to rotate players as needed to freshen up the midcourt proved the difference.
"In previous years that hasn't happened," Baber said post-match.
"We don't drop our heads but we get in our own heads. But today they really thought if we lost a ball we can get it back. We will always turn ball over, it's what we do with it. And I don't reckon we lost many transitions today.
"Fresh legs helped. I'm the coach who has 11 players who would be starting in any other team and we did rotate a fair bit today, more than what I would normally do and I think that helped us at different times.
"The girls said that they wanted it more than them today and they said in previous games they probably haven't wanted it as much as what the other team has. I left them to their own team chat each quarter, and that was it, 'We've talked about this at training. We have to want it more.'
"I said, 'They're not going to give it to you. They're a class side, Souths. They just go and go and go and go."
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University led 13-10 at the first break, 27-22 at half-time then 38-36 heading into the fourth quarter.
The late arrival of goal defence Nakita Jackson during the fourth quarter proved pivotal for Lions, who had battled illness through the week and lost defender Laura Neale to an ankle injury in the second quarter.
Souths coach Tracey van Dal only has nine players nominated for the championship team's finals campaign and, although disappointed with the result, could not have been prouder of the effort.
"Our goal defence Laura Neale, who is normally a wing defence, rolled her ankle in the second quarter, which meant for the third quarter Leah Dove, who is a wing defence, had to cover goal defence and she hasn't played goal defence for around three years," van Dal said.
"So I'm really proud. I think at one point we were six down, so to scramble back and to have a performance like that to force it into extra time from about five or six down with numerous girls out of position was great.
"The difference in the end was the first lot of extra time."
University, who were beaten by West Leagues Balance in their first grand final last year, now have the weekend off while Lions must play the four-time defending champions in the preliminary final next Saturday.
The winner of that match between Souths and West, who beat Nova in the elimination final on August 26, will join University in the grand final on September 16.