Waikato-Bay of Plenty 49
West Coast 38
Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic accomplished more than one mission by registering their latest trans-Tasman netball league success today.
They beat West Coast Fever 49-38 in Perth, becoming the first New Zealand franchise team to record a win on an Australian court in almost two full seasons of the ANZ Championship.
More importantly for Magic, an 11th victory in 12 outings left them one step closer to a home semifinal, something they can nail down by beating the Thunderbirds in their last regular season match in Adelaide next Sunday.
Their star studded lineup proved too powerful for sixth-placed Fever today, the 22nd time a New Zealand side have tried their luck across the Tasman since the 10-team league was launched in 2008.
Captain Irene van Dyk, hugely influential again with 29 goals from 31 attempts, deflected praise afterwards when complimented on her near faultless goal shooting.
"As a shooter you always aim for 100 per cent. Sometimes it comes off and sometimes it doesn't.
"To play a classy outfit like the Fever it is always nice to come out on top."
Magic's superior experience and execution were evident as early as the opening quarter today when they edged ahead 14-9 after goal defence Casey Williams did her best to impersonate a wall in the defensive circle.
Widely considered among the very best defenders in the world, Williams and her goal keep Leana de Bruin made that territory their own as they hustled and bustled Fever goal shoot Caitlin Bassett into error.
At the other end incomparable goal shoot van Dyk kept the score ticking over for Magic in tandem with her goal attack Maria Tutaia.
Fever hit back in the second quarter and levelled the scores at 17-17 before Magic called an injury timeout when Frances Solia complained of a knee problem.
Magic obviously used this time to good effect because they came back out and strung together a run of 9-1 en route to a halftime advantage of 26-19.
They also won the third quarter 12-10 to enter the home stretch ahead 38-29, a lead they were never going to relinquish.
Van Dyk, the 37-year-old veteran, put on another master class of shooting, registering her only misses in the final minute when the game was signed, sealed and delivered for Magic.
She was complemented nicely by Tutaia, her younger attacking partner whose return of 20 from 25 was more than passable given the fact many of her attempts were made from distance.
For West Coast, Bassett ended with 30 from 40 and her goal attack Nikala Smith managed seven from 17.
- NZPA
