West Coast Fever have kept their Super Netball title defence alive with a hard-fought 64-57 minor semi-final win over arch rivals Melbourne Vixens at Perth's RAC Arena.
The Fever led by six goals early in the final quarter of Sunday's match, and still held a 59-55 advantage with four minutes remaining.
But the Vixens gave the home side an almighty scare after that, with Kiera Austin nailing a Super Goal, then having another long-range attempt to level the scores with two minutes remaining.
Austin's missed shot marked the end of the Vixens' resistance, with Fever captain Courtney Bruce snaring a series of crucial intercepts and deflections in the dying stages to help seal victory in front of 9891 fans.
The Fever will now face the NSW Swifts in next Saturday's preliminary final in Sydney. The winner plays the Adelaide Thunderbirds in the July 8 grand final in Melbourne.
Fever coach Dan Ryan described the performance as his team's best of the season.
"To show up like we did in a do-or-die game says a lot about our group," Ryan said.
"It's a huge shift in confidence, and I can't wait for next week.
"We didn't want to finish fourth.
"Our dream is still well and truly alive. And if we play like that, hopefully we can keep going for a few more weeks."
Star Fever goalshooter Jhaniele Fowler scored 55 goals in a strong display, while Bruce was a rock in defence on the way to 15 deflections and six gains.
Mwai Kumwenda scored 39 goals for the Vixens, while Austin finished with 12 goals and three Super Shots.
"I was really proud of the way the girls took on the challenge. They gave everything they could," Vixens coach Simone McKinnis said.
"It's heartbreaking, but we couldn't get the job done ultimately."
The Thunderbirds secured a direct path to the grand final with a shock 64-62 victory over the Swifts in Sydney on Saturday.
It means the Swifts, who finished atop the ladder, must now win on their home turf to set up a re-match with the Thunderbirds in the grand final.
But they will face a hungry Fever outfit keen to defend their crown.
The Vixens shot out to a 10-6 lead midway through the opening term in a strong start on Sunday.
The lead changed hands several times after that, but alarm bells were ringing for the Vixens when a Sasha Glasgow Super Shot extended Fever's lead to six goals in the dying stages of the third quarter.
The Vixens fought back hard in the final term, but Bruce's star showing in defence allowed West Coast to dominate the final two minutes.
"I thought Courtney Bruce led that exceptionally well," Ryan said.
"She's a big-game player. There were moments in that last quarter when she really turned momentum our way with some really heroic acts."
