Shamera Sterling-Humphrey has become the first Super Netball player to 300 intercepts as her commanding performance helped propel the Adelaide Thunderbirds to a record-breaking 68-43 major semi-final win over Melbourne Vixens.
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Kiera Austin scored the first goal of Saturday's game at Adelaide 36ers Arena but that was the only lead the Vixens enjoyed as they were comprehensively outplayed.
It was the Thunderbirds' biggest winning margin over the Vixens and the largest by any team in Super Netball finals history.
The Thunderbirds advanced directly to the grand final in Adelaide, while Vixens will host the winner of Sunday's minor semi-final between West Coast Fever and Sunshine Coast Lightning in Perth.
Adelaide were up by six, 16 then 22 at the breaks and finished the match with a 7-0 run.
Vixens coach Simone McKinnis made numerous substitutions throughout but no combination could contain the Thunderbirds juggernaut.
Relentless Adelaide tallied 16 more gains and five more intercepts than the pressured and shellshocked Vixens, who converted only 46 per cent of their centre passes.
"Our defensive pressure, we have some spectacular circle defenders, but I think all the way through the court we were very good today," Thunderbirds coach Tania Obst told Fox Sports.
Her team have won seven straight, with all but one of those victories achieved by double digit margins
Sterling-Humphrey went into the game needing four intercepts to reach the 300 milestone and duly delivered just over five minutes into the final quarter.
She picked up another a few seconds later and finished with a massive 14 gains, adding eight rebounds and six deflections.
The athletic Jamaican also nullified prolific Vixens and Diamonds shooter Sophie Garbin, who made just seven of her 11 shots up to three-quarter time.
"Today I woke up so happy so I knew it was going to be a good one," Sterling-Humphrey told Fox.
"I feel like my game is definitely getting better, I just think that I can tidy up on a bit more and I can start finding new strengths."
Goal attack Lauren Frew, the only Thunderbird without finals experience, rose to the occasion, finishing with 17 of 18, making all 16 of her shots from one-point range.
She provided excellent support to veteran shooter Romelda Aiken-George (39/44).
The Vixens suffered their third loss in their last four games and were held below 50 goals for the first time this season.
"We probably didn't execute early and that didn't help, but we'll go back to the drawing board," Vixens captain and midcourter Kate Moloney told Fox.
"We've just got to go back and find that netball that we playing earlier in the year because its there and we want to get another crack at these guys."
Australian Associated Press
