Harten nets 1500th goal in Perth
In a battle that went right down to the wire, the Kia Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic fell to the in-form West Coast Fever, 54-49 in Perth on Sunday in Round 9 of the ANZ Championship.
Trailing for much of the second half, the youthful Magic team, renowned for their never say die attitude, produced a stirring last quarter comeback to rattle the home side.
The ever-reliable Joanne Harten continued her solid form in goals for the Magic, netting 35 goals from 40 attempts, along the way to 
surpassing 1500 career ANZ Championship goals.
The match didn’t start the way the Magic would have hoped, kept scoreless for the first five minutes. The Fever’s relentless midcourt pressure and their well-crafted execution on attack left the Magic with few answers and unable to stall the momentum.
With everything going their way, it was the Fever who skipped into the first break with a handy 16-9 lead.
Malia Paseka was injected into the game at quarter time for the Magic, replacing Ellen Halpenny at goal attack. One of four 19-year-olds in the Magic’s line-up, the athletic Paseka had an immediate impact with her slick movement and aerial ability.
Magic netted the first four goals of the quarter which coincided with a lift in their defensive efforts. The midcourt was effective in halting Fever’s momentum on attack while Leana de Bruin and Kristiana Manu’a turned up the heat on shooters Bassett and Natalie Medhurst.
Both Bassett (Fever) and Harten were a little shaky on the shot at times, both under immense defensive pressure, before Harten regained her poise to post her 1500th goal in the competition as the Magic closed to within four.
However Fever showed their composure to weather the storm and regain the advantage with a decisive burst of their own. On the verge of half-time, Magic were left to rue missed opportunities which helped Fever retain control of the match with a 27-21 lead.
The second half saw Magic playing catch-up, trying valiantly to reduce the margin and get to within striking distance. Led by de Bruin and Harten, the Magic rallied late in the final quarter but couldn’t quite overcome the Fever, who successfully defended the Challenge Trophy for the fifth time this season.
After two tough weeks on the road, the Magic have the bye in Round 10 and will use the time to recharge the batteries as they set their sights on the all-important run home.
Round 11 will see the Magic return to Claudelands Arena in Hamilton on Sunday 10 May for a Mother’s Day battle with the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel. The match will also be sharpshooter Joanne Harten’s 50th ANZ Championship match.
Give the gift of Netball this Mother’s Day – purchase tickets here!
