KEY POINTS:
ANZ CHAMPIONSHIP
Magic 61
Fever 47
Waikato/Bay OF Plenty Magic came up with the most effective home remedy for the Fever - starve the West Coasters of all ball.
After last weekend's flat and disjointed performance in Newcastle, Magic gave the Mystery Creek Events Centre visitors a netballing lesson with a 61-47 hiding yesterday.
Magic coach Noeline Taurua instilled the need to retain possession - a game plan that was just the tonic. The home side's firepower proved too much for Fever who were reduced largely to being spectators.
Taurua said: "I think when you lose you get a kick up the butt. No one likes to lose. Once again, everybody looked better. I would probably say that was our best team performance so far."
On the flipside, Fever coach Sue Gaudion labelled the performance embarrassing, saying an inability to execute the game plan and get the basics right spelled their demise.
"I told the team we would be getting a highlights package full of lowlights," Gaudion explained.
Despite their significant height, Fever goal defence and English import Ama Agbeze and keeper Susan Furhmann were unable to apply enough pressure to stifle the developing shooting combination of Irene van Dyk and Maria Tutaia. Van Dyk landed 95 per cent of her shots, her younger colleague 79 per cent.
Gaudion was full of praise for Tutaia, who she says is key to Magic's success in the ANZ Championship.
"My big rap today was for Maria. I thought she was just outstanding... If they can keep her in the game, Magic will win this competition."
Magic were able to put daylight between themselves and their Perth-based opposition, dominating space, territory and ball possession. Magic's obsession with establishment of strong through-court links finally bore fruit for the home side.
Taurua varied slightly on her regular starting line-up, with Silver Fern goal defence Joline Henry trading places with wing defence Jodi Tod.
The injection of Henry into the midcourt saw her go head to head with the vastly experienced Karen Atkinson. The Wigan-born veteran boasts 91 caps for the English national side.
But Tod struggled to keep pace with Fever's Nikala Smith.
Looking to stem the haemorrhage of goals, Gaudion turned to the bench for answers. But the Magic outfit asked too many questions of the opposition and were already dominant at halftime, leading 33-21.
Meanwhile the Northern Mystics kept up their consistent loss record, going down 46-40 to the Firebirds in Brisbane last night. It was their biggest loss so far - all the other losses were by four points and came after the Mystics burst out of the blocks.
The mistakes rained down and the Firebirds were ahead 24-19 at halftime and then 40-29 in the third quarter before holding on in the face of a strong finish by the Aucklanders.
