Kia Magic get win in Harten’s 50th
In front of a vocal home crowd, the Kia Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic celebrated Joanne Harten’s 50th ANZ Championship match with a crucial 59-53 victory over the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel in Hamilton on Sunday.
With the race heating up to cement a top-three spot in the New Zealand Conference, this match pitted the third-placed Kia Magic against the second-placed Steel.
The two youngest teams in the league produced a match which ebbed and flowed throughout and where the lead changed hands numerous times, it was anyone’s game.
Ultimately it was the Kia Magic who finished with a flourish to seal the win in front of a parochial home crown to take the vital two competition points.
The injection of experienced goal attack Ellen Halpenny for the final quarter coupled with the growing stature of rising teenage talent Samantha Sinclair, Jamie-Lee Price and Kristiana Manu’a helped the home team overcome a tense and tight final stanza with a punishing finish.
Manu’a produced a fine effort against the continued threat of towering Steel shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Reid while Sinclair and Price were energetic and productive across the court in shutting down any sniff of a Steel comeback.
The Kia Magic will travel to Auckland in Round 12 to face the Conference-leading SKYCITY Mystics on Monday 18 May at The Trusts Arena.
Fans are encouraged to turn out in force to support the Kia Magic in their final regular season home game in Round 13 on Monday 25 May against the Mojo Pulse at Claudelands Arena in Hamilton – purchase tickets here!
Don’t forget schools can access a special ticketing offer for the match at Claudelands Arena. Bring your school team to the game and cheer on the Kia Magic – click here for promotion details
