Mystics aim to get back on track

After being unable to fend off an inspired but lowly ranked West Coast Fever outfit in Perth on Monday, Mystics coach Te Aroha Keenan is determined to get her team back on track in time for Monday's game against defending champions, the New South Wales Swifts.
"There have been too many errors, and we should be making sure we put the ball into space so we can get it down to out shooters," she said.
The Fever forced ball turnover and edged ahead throughout the four quarters to eventually win 57-46.
While Keenan said her side were capable in all areas of the court, it was being able to play for the full 15 minutes of each quarter that had hindered their play.
"We have been dropping away for a quarter and getting behind by five or six points - we need to play for the whole quarter," she said.
Fever defenders kept shooters Cathrine Latu and Pamela Cookey away from the goal, and their attempts at scoring were limited.
Latu maintained a 71 per cent goal average before she was replaced at the interlude by Jade Topia, who managed a 67 per cent shooting average while Cookey maintained a 75 per cent goal average throughout the game.
Goal defence Rachel Rasmussen was replaced by Stephanie Bond at halftime as the team tried lifting for the second stanza, but the Fever outplayed the Mystics.
The Mystics returned to Auckland from Perth on Tuesday and had their first training session on Thursday. "We were a bit weary from the travel," Keenan said.
The Swifts will be without skipper Catherine Cox, who was injured during her side's 63-45 defeat by the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic.
For the Mystics, the game at Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre at 7pm on Monday is seen as a chance to turn their season around. They have one win and two losses, and desperately want to win on Monday to fuel their chances of making the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Pulse and Fever go head to head at Palmerston North today, with the Southern Steel and Melbourne Vixens also playing in Melbourne.
The Magic play the Queensland Firebirds in Brisbane tomorrow with the remaining game of the round also on Monday as the Canterbury Tactix meet the Adelaide Thunderbirds in Christchurch.