MELBOURNE, Australia (CMC) — Jamaica Sunshine Girls netballers continued their impressive play in the penultimate round of the Supernetball League on Saturday and Sunday, but there was an emotional finish for one of them after her side’s hopes of playing for end-of-season glory took a hit.

Sunshine Girls goal shooter Jhaniele Fowler and her West Coast Fever teammates held their nerve for a thrilling 73-72 win over New South Wales Swifts to seal second place on the ladder.

Exhausted Sunshine Girls defender Shamera Sterling was moved to tears after another dynamic game in the circle, but Melbourne Vixens came out on top against her Adelaide Thunderbirds in a strong comeback to take a 51-47 win and secure the right to host the major semi-final in a fortnight.

And, Sunshine Girls pair of defender Jodi-Ann Ward and goal shooter Shimona Nelson contributed at their respective ends of the court to keep alive the finals hopes of Collingwood Magpies with a 68-62 win over Sunshine Coast Lightning.

In Sydney, Fowler continued her magnificent season, ending with 64 goals from 66 attempts and closing to within 35 goals of breaking her own all-time individual season record of 795 set two years ago.

But neither Fever nor Swifts could capture clear momentum in the second half of the match at the Ken Rosewall Arena.

Fever led 40-31 at half-time, but the Swifts went on a five-goal run at the beginning of the third quarter and cut the deficit.

Fever settled and stemmed the flow to stay eight in front before a time-out heading into the power five.

But three Super Shots from Helen Housby enabled the Swifts to win the quarter 21-15 and reduce Fever’s lead to 55-52 at the last break.

Fever maintained a three-goal lead until halfway through the quarter and continued applying scoreboard pressure through the final minutes, but the Swifts drew to within a goal and then levelled scores with a pair of Super Shots from Housby again.

Fowler put Fever back in front and the Swifts had a chance to claim the win before a Rudi Ellis rebound off a missed shot sealed the win.

In Adelaide, Sterling and her Thunderbirds teammates left it all on the court at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, but the Vixens midfield stood strong and delivered in the closing stages.

Sterling could not have done any more to haul the T’birds across the line. Her eight gains, combined with an additional six from Latanya Wilson, helped put the hosts in a favourable position.

So fierce was the defence of the T’birds, Vixens feeder Liz Watson, who is rated by many as the world’s best netballer, had an uncharacteristically high six turnovers.

The Vixens’ defenders responded, however, and in the final term they dragged the league front-runners into the lead with Emily Mannix and Jo Weston both winning key turnovers in the dying minutes, and Olivia Lewis enjoying a hugely productive second half in the fightback.

The T’birds remain in the hunt for a finals berth, but they must beat Fever in the final round of the preliminary competition next week and rely on other results to sneak into the top four.

In Sippy Downs, Queensland, Magpies rocketed into the top four and terminated the faint hopes of Sunshine Coast Lightning with a hard-fought win at USC Stadium on Sunday.

The win lifted the Magpies — who began the round in seventh spot — above the Queensland Firebirds, the Thunderbirds, and the Swifts on the congested ladder.

Nelson ended with 57 goals from 61 attempts and starred in the circle for the Pies, who gradually saw off the challenge of the bottom-of-the-table, but brave Lightning, before pulling away late.

“That (win) means a lot to us,” Nelson said. “We’ve been grinding a lot. There have been a few hiccups along the road, but we came out here and delivered because we really wanted to be in that top four. We know what we can do and know what we can deliver (in the finals).”

Nelson and centre Molly Jovic connected well to keep the Magpies in the contest after their side played catch-up for the majority of a tight first half.

A burst of goals from Nelson a little before half-time and a Gabrielle Sinclair two-pointer helped the Magpies edge ahead 34-33 at the break.

The brilliance of goal defence Ward, whose stats included eight gains and five intercepts, was pivotal in stretching the cushion to six points for the Magpies before three super shots from Lightning captain Steph Wood in barely a minute trimmed the deficit to one.

Nelson kept the scoreboard ticking for the Magpies in the final term, while Ward continued to wreak havoc at the other end to quash the Lightning’s hopes of a late rally.

The Magpies can secure their first finals berth in three years if they topple the top-ranked Vixens next Monday, June 13, at John Cain Arena.