Reigning champ Magic drubs Falcons

LAST year’s finalists have got their seasons off to winning starts in Dunedin women’s club basketball.

Defending champion South Pacific Magic claimed a 7336 win over the Andy Bay Falcons, while a fast start saw Ajax beat Varsity 5649.

Ajax held Varsity to just four firstquarter points as captain Natalie Smith scored the team’s first seven.

That helped it open a 124 lead, but Varsity was able to hold the deficit through the second quarter.

Jeanie Pattison and Estelle Schuler scored all but one of Varsity’s secondquarter points, while Smith added six of Ajax’s 14, taking the score to 2618.

Sisters Nicole and Aleisha Ruske helped keep Ajax in front as a big third quarter from Varsity saw it eat into the deficit and trail 4339 at the final break.

It was unable to complete the comeback, though, as the Ruskes and Smith scored all of Ajax’s fourthquarter points to see it through.

Smith topscored for Ajax with 20 points, while Aleisha and Nicole Ruske had 16 and 15 respectively.

Pattison led the way for Varsity with 17.

Meanwhile the Magic was similarly dominant from the outset, piling on a 215 firstquarter lead against the Falcons.

A better second quarter from the Falcons saw the Magic’s lead extend by only five, before the defending champion pulled away with a dominant second half.

Natalie Visger topscored for the Magic with 13 points, while Kirsty Currie chipped in with 11 and Georgia Te Au and Sophie Johns added 10 each.

Jenna Small had 11 to topscore for the Falcons.