Mystics ease past Tactix in rematch of 2021 final
Two wins down, one to go.
The defending champion Northern Mystics are on the verge of completing a perfect week in the ANZ Premiership after beating the Mainland Tactix 70-51 at Pulman Arena in Auckland.
They started on Monday by beating the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic, and will now face the Stars today, back at the same venue, as they chase their third win in the space of seven days.
Yesterday’s clash was a rematch of last year’s grand final and the first meeting between the Mystics and the Tactix since then, as a result of the disruption caused by Covid-19.
The two teams were slow to get out of their blocks at the attacking end, with their star-studded defences coming to the fore in the early exchanges.
At the end of the first period, the Mystics had eked out a twogoal advantage, and they put their foot down as the second quarter began, going on a 4-0 run to extend their lead to five.
It took a while for the Aucklanders to put the Mainlanders away.
Led by the efforts of Karin Burger, the Tactix closed within two with just under five minutes to play, but soon found themselves trailing by seven, as the Mystics went on a decisive run.
Burger shifted from goal defence to wing defence at the start of the third quarter as the Tactix sought a way back into the contest, but the Mystics won that period 23-14.
Best on court
Mystics centre Tayla Earle had a high-profile matchup against her opposite number on the Tactix, Kimiora Poi, and did an excellent job of controlling the contest in her 50th ANZ Premiership outing – a milestone she shared with Grace Nweke.
The big moment
With 4.32 on the clock at the end of the second quarter, Ellie Bird scored to pull the Tactix within two goals of the Mystics for the first time in almost 10 minutes. Less than four minutes later, the Mystics were back up by seven, thanks to some composed shooting from Nweke and Filda Vui.
Match rating
4/10: This was a one-sided affair in the end, but the Tactix kept it interesting for most of the first two quarters.
The big picture
The Mystics’ win grew their lead over the Central Pulse at the top of the ladder to five points. They have the chance to grow it on further today against the Stars. The Tactix will be looking to bounce back against the Magic today, needing a win to stay in touch in the race for the top three.