Cripps' ability to control the pace in the offensive zone led to a strong start for the team, holding on to a 14-10 lead at the end of the first quarter.

But the Cavs' opportunistic style of play kept them in the fight.

Early second-quarter shooting woes kept the Cavs at a distance.

But a quick turnaround in the paint by attacker Courtney Treloar kept hopes for an upset alive, with the team evening the score 23-all at halftime.

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Things really heated up in the fourth quarter, with back-and-forth scoring keeping the limited crowd on its toes.

But Treloar's clutch shooting saw the Cavs to victory, sealed by a strong defensive effort by the team in the final minutes.

Treloar finished with 34 points and the MVP.

Head coach Jamie Easther said she could not be prouder of the team's effort on the day.

"They worked so hard today. We knew it was going to be a four-quarter battle right to the final result," she said.

Easther said the team needed to be firing on all cylinders to beat the first-place Waratah, and they did just that.

"They don't have any weak links ... we made changes up in our mid-court to get some fresh legs up there but other than that we were confident with the lineups we had up in there," she said.