Avis Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic celebrated a special milestone for co-captain Erena Mikaere with a second half rampage to despatch Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse 50-39 in Hamilton on Saturday.
In front of a large, supportive and vocal home crowd, Mikaere couldn’t have asked for a better way to celebrate her 150th national league match. The veteran defender was well backed by her Magic teammates, none more so than the shooting anchor at the other end of the court.
The athletic, aerial and accurate Saviour Tui delivered a masterclass under the hoop with an imperious outing, opening up the circle with her exhilarating movement while nailing 34 from 36 shots, icing the cake with the only two-pointer of the match on the stroke of fulltime.
With both teams backing up season-best performances from the previous week, there was no shortage of intensity as the contest unfolded.
In a huge turnaround, the Magic delivered a comprehensive 30-13 second half onslaught after trailing 26-20 at halftime.
The visitors got away to the better start before the Magic gradually found their rhythm after some early disconnection on attack.
With the height of Mikaere and Oceane Maihi causing disruption through the defensive end, the Magic remained in touch despite trailing 14-9 at the first break.
The deficit stretched during the second quarter before a tactical timeout sparked a response. The introduction of Kate Taylor added height in the shooting circle while strong defensive pressure from Georgie Edgecombe and Mikaere helped shift momentum.
Tui continued to impress with her athletic movement and accuracy under the post as the Magic cut into the margin to trail 26-20 at halftime.
Both sides started the third term in scrappy fashion but it was the Magic’s long arm spans and hustle on defence that forced turnovers and created opportunities through the court. With their defence end picking up plenty of ball, the attack line sprang into life.
Ariana Cable-Dixon delivered quality service into the shooting circle while Tui and Taylor capitalised on their opportunities. Growing in confidence, the Magic steadily chipped away at the deficit to close within three goals at 35-32 heading into the final break after restricting the visitors to just nine goals in the quarter.
