Magic show promise in defeat to Tactix

A massive second half effort - spearheaded by an eight-goal run - saw the Trident Home Tactix score their first win of the ANZ Premiership season, 61-54 over the Splice Construction Magic on their home court in Tauranga.

A defensive shake-up in the Tactix line-up early in the third quarter, with MVP Karin Burger moving out to wing defence, immediately resulted in the Mainland side reversing a four-goal deficit and leading by five at three-quarter time.

The Magic, still not back to a full strength side, had patches of brilliance - with goal attacks Ameliaranne Ekenasio and Ivana Rowland, sharing half a game each, and both shooting brilliantly to support goal shoot Bailey Mes. 
 
It was a shuddering start, with both sides taking time to find their feet, and going for goal for much of the opening quarter.
 
The Magic started with the shooting duo fans had been waiting for - Mes at goal shoot and Ekenasio at goal attack. Claire Kersten did a stellar job feeding them, while it was a bit of a baptism of fire for young wing attack Georgie Edgecombe, traditionally a wing defence.
 
But a couple of costly footwork mistakes from the Magic allowed the Tactix to capitalise and get out to a three-goal advantage, 14-11, at the first break.
 
The Magic had a better start and closed the gap not long into the second spell, with Oceane Maihi and Erena Mikaere making stronger inroads at the back.
 
At the other end, goal defence Karin Burger again was the beacon of hope for the Tactix. Burger displayed outstanding defence in and out of the circle, and drove play forward on the turnover.
 
With Mes shooting 18 from 21, and Ekenasio a faultless 10 from 10, the Magic snatched the lead right before halftime, 28-27.
 
Very little separated the teams in statistics, too - both shooting with 90 percent accuracy, and the same number of deflections and turnovers.
 
The Magic went for a very different attacking line-up for the third quarter: Ekenasio went to the bench, replaced by Ivana Rowland who confidently took the goal shoot bib, Mes moving out to goal attack, and veteran Ariana Cable-Dixon coming into the game at wing attack.
 
The trio took no time to settle in, and they pushed the difference out to four.
 
But then the Tactix resorted to a shake-up in their defence looking to close the slowly widening gap, with Burger moving to wing defence and Kelera Nawai-Caucau joining Kate Lloyd in the circle. It certainly had the desired effect with the Tactix forcing the Magic into a string of errors, and their experienced shooters Ellie Bird and Te Paea Selby-Rickit scoring eight in a row to take the lead.
 
The Magic replied, bringing Hannah Ridling on at goal keep, and finally they scored another goal. But the damage had been done, and the Tactix led 44-39 at three-quarter time.
 
Edgecombe returned to wing attack for the Magic for the last stanza, with Sam Winders and Kersten switching the centre/wing defence bibs.
 
But the Tactix had now settled into their work, Kimiora Poi and Samon Nathan finding more room to move and set up Selby-Rickit and Bird, and the difference grew to 10.
 
Some dogged work by Winders in the middle and Maihi and Kersten at the back, helped the Magic to score six in a row and get back within five. But they were denied a bonus point in the final minute with a last burst from the Tactix.