Firsthalf efforts carry South home

A BIG first quarter has helped South to its first win of the Beko League season.

It led 1710 at the first break and maintained that to win 5851 over the Northern Marvels in Queenstown yesterday.

There is experience in the team, which acts as a feeder side to the Southern Steel.

Four of its players have now played in the ANZ Premiership.

South proved dominant through that first quarter, forcing the Marvels into several turnovers to limit the ball they got to their shooters.

That enabled the South to take 21 shots to the Marvels’ 12.

It took advantage of that as well, the combination of Isabella Masani and Georgia Heffernan making 80% of those to open up a handy lead.

From there the match became more even.

South extended its lead to 2921 at halftime, before a 1515 third quarter.

The Marvels finally won a quarter in the fourth, but South had already opened enough of a gap to make for a comfortable win.

A The Central Pulse has extended its lead at the top of the ANZ Premiership ladder, thrashing the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic 6348 in Wellington last night, RNZ reported.

The Pulse walked away with maximum points and reinstated its buffer at the top of the points ladder.

It is three clear of the Southern Steel, the Magic is in third and the Mainland Tactix rounds out the top four.