Magic down Tactix to stay in hunt
Don’t count the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic out of the national netball premiership finals race.
The Magic made it back-toback wins for the first time this season, overcoming the Mainland Tactix 57-50 at Hamilton’s Claudelands Arena last night.
Following up their best showing of the season last Monday, when they upset the Northern Stars 53-42, was pivotal for the Magic and they did just that.
The Magic remain in fourth place on 12 points with five round games left and are hot on the heels of the Stars on 16 points, who have lost their past three matches.
It will still take some boilovers in the final part of round play for the Magic to sneak into the elimination final (second versus third). They have a challenging next three games, against the unbeaten Central Pulse twice and the two-time defending champions Southern Steel.
The loss ends any slim hope the Tactix had of a second successive ANZ Premiership finals appearance.
They remain bottom of the table on six points with just two wins from nine games and six further matches left.
New Zealand netball has some bright emerging goal shoot talent in Aliyah Dunn, Ellie Bird, teenager Grace Nweke, and Magic’s 21-year-old Kelsey McPhee, who is 1.87m tall, looks another name for the future.
McPhee and fringe Silver Fern Monica Falkner picked up where they left off against the Stars, shooting 53 of 61 in that game, with a perfect first quarter.
They landed all 14 of their attempts with McPhee slotting 11 to take a 14-12 edge into the end of the opening term.
McPhee and Falkner had strong games for the Magic, but midcourter Sam Sinclair was inspirational at centre. She delivered just the kind of showing needed as Silver Ferns coach Noeline Taurua ponders her midcourt mix for July’s Netball World Cup, outplaying Tactix opposite Kimiora Poi.
McPhee finished with 40 goals from 46 attempts, while Falkner was an excellent foil with 17 from 19.
Silver Fern circle defenders Casey Kopua and Kelly Jury both nabbed some important ball for the Magic in the closing minutes as the Tactix tried to rally.