Pulse return to winning ways to down Magic

That one was tougher than the score suggested, said Central Pulse coach Yvette McCauslandDurie.

History will tell you an electric third-quarter performance sparked the Pulse to a 63-48 win over the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic in front of a sellout crowd in Wellington yesterday, respond- ing to their surprise one-goal defeat at the hands of the Northern Mystics in emphatic style.

Having already beaten the Magic 45-33 and 61-46 in their previous two matches, the 15-goal win saw the Pulse complete a clean sweep over one of their main rivals.

But through McCauslandDurie’s eyes it was a hard-fought win, with the game only decided during a small window either side of halftime.

‘‘They always say when you lose a game you’re much sharper in terms of your focus and your analysis so the girls worked hard this week,’’ she said.

‘‘It was a tough game again but it was pleasing to see their resolve under pressure and the ability to stay connected to the performance.’’

The Magic’s form – coming into this game on the back of four consecutive wins – suggested it was going to be a close one. But the Pulse made a mockery of that by taking control in a one-sided third quarter.

They went on a 6-0 run before outscoring the Magic 19-12. That was enough to give them a 12-goal lead heading into the final quarter.

The teens led the way again. After recovering from a nervous start, missing two of her first three attempts, 18-year-old goal shoot Aliyah Dunn went on to finish as the game’s top scorer with 45 from 49.

She had solid support from 17-year-old goal attack Tiana Metuarau (18/20), who also finished with a game-high 26 assists.

The Magic kept in touch for the first two quarters, often cutting the deficit to just two goals. But a late flurry before halftime saw the Pulse take a 31-26 lead into the major break and the 6-0 run on the other side of it set them up for their seventh win of the season.