Jamaican shooter Shimona Jok turned in another impressive individual performance, but it was not enough to lift the Melbourne Mavericks, who slumped to their sixth loss of the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) League season with a 67-60 defeat to Sunshine Coast Lightning at UniSC Arena on Saturday.

Jok was clinical in the circle, as she scored 41 goals from 42 attempts and added two of three from the supershot range. Despite her accuracy and presence, the Mavericks could not claw back a third-quarter deficit that proved too steep to overcome. She was supported by Uneeq Palavi, who found range late but struggled for consistency with five of 11 supershots, while Sasha Glasgow's limited involvement ended with five goals from seven attempts.

Meanwhile, Cara Koenen led the Lightning scorers with 41 goals from 51 attempts, backed by Steph Fretwell, who was flawless from range and pivotal in Power Five with a perfect seven from seven in the circle and seven from seven at the supershot line.

The loss leaves the Mavericks languishing in sixth on the table with just two wins and eight points. In contrast, the Lightning leapfrogged back into second place on 20 points, tied with third-placed West Coast Fever in an increasingly congested top-four battle.

Melbourne Mavericks and Sunshine Coast Lightning in action. (Photos: Getty Images)

Sunshine Coast wasted no time asserting themselves, as they raced to a 7-2 lead as their defensive pressure rattled the Mavericks early. However, a well-timed tactical timeout helped the visitors regroup and claw their way back into the contest.

Courtney Bruce and Tara Hinchcliffe led Lightning's defensive wall and combined for three intercepts and two deflections in the first quarter. The hosts regained control late in the period, thanks in part to two supershots from Fretwell, and entered the first break up 18-13.

Bruce, who briefly left the court early in the second with an ankle injury, returned to help anchor a Lightning side that continued to thrive under pressure, particularly during the Power Five period. Fretwell lit up the arc, converting all five of her supershot attempts in the first half to help Lightning maintain their edge.

Still, the Mavericks remained in striking distance, largely on the back of Jok's scoring, but their defensive output — just one gain across the first two quarters — left them chasing 30-38 at the halftime interval.

The game-defining stretch came in the third quarter. With blistering ball speed and relentless pressure across the court, Lightning blew the contest open with a 19-11 term. Wing defender Mahalia Cassidy was immense, as she registered two gains and two intercepts in a standout performance that helped suffocate the Mavericks’ midcourt flow.

With the score at 57-41 heading into the final quarter, the Mavericks faced an uphill task. However, they refused to surrender and launched a final-quarter fightback in which they stormed to a 10-4 start to cut the deficit. Jok and Palavi threatened a late steal with a barrage of supershots, and the Lightning, for the first time, looked rattled, as they made a few unforced errors.

Still, time was not on the Mavericks' side, and the Lightning regained composure in the dying minutes to close out the game.