It wasn't as if she was getting quality service either because Pulse defenders, captain Katrina Grant and Phoenix Karaka, made her fight for every bit of possession but, when it counted, Paseka always had those extra centimetres on the leap or the stretch.
Dearns agreed that the fact it was the Magic's second pre-season outing and her team's first showed at times.
"We had the opportunity to try players out there and we did that. A couple of players took a long time to settle but this squad has huge potential long term," Dearns said.
"I was really pleased that we managed to get our babies [Kate Wells and Blaze Leslie] on and they held their own," the former Silver Fern said.
She had every right to be proud of her team's error rate during the first three periods.
In the first the Pulse conceded five turnovers, two fewer than the Magic, in the second four, one fewer than Magic and in the third eight, five more than the visitors.
While Dearns admitted she wasn't a fan of the new 30-second interchange rule, she would adapt to it and come up with ways of using it strategically before the championship begins in five weeks.
Retired Silver Fern Jodi Brown was the home team's best player. She had stints at goal attack (six from nine attempts in the first, four from five in the second, four from five in the fifth and three from three for the first part of the sixth) and at wing attack.
Dearns said Brown, 34, would be in the circle when the championship starts and her stint at wing attack allowed Dearns to try some different combinations.
It wasn't a surprise the Magic out scored the Pulse 18-7 in the fourth period, when Brown was having a well-deserved spell.
Being able to perform under pressure is the Pulse's biggest work-on and, as Dearns pointed out, this will improve with more game time during the coming weeks.
On Saturday the Pulse led 13-12 after the first period and 27-26 after the second.
Pulse shooter Ameliaranne Wells proved why she has had game time with the Silver Ferns with some impressive work under the hoop.
Wells succeeded with seven of her nine attempts in the first period and 10 of 18 in the second.
As goal attack she sunk two from four in the third and four from six in the fourth before she switched back to goal shoot for the sixth and sunk 11 from 13.
The Pulse outscored the Magic 18-12 in the sixth period.
Along with Paseka, Joanne Harten was classy in the attacking circle for Magic.
In the goal shoot role she sank 11 from 13 in the second period.
As goal attack she succeeded with four from eight in the third, all six in the fourth and four from seven in the fifth.
Apart from being "a little bit slow out of the blocks", Magic captain and defender Leana de Bruin was happy with her team.
