Tactix 45
It may have been a fundraising match, but the Northern Mystics were far from charitable against the Tactix, handing the struggling Canterbury side one of their heaviest losses of the season last night.
While they have just one win from seven outings, most of the Tactix' losses have been by narrow margins. But although they battled hard in the opening half, they were clearly outclassed against the talent-stacked Mystics, eventually going down by 13 goals.
The only comfort the Tactix can take from the match was the knowledge that over $15,000 was raised for Canterbury Netball.
The match doubled as a charity event after the original round three meeting between the two sides was postponed in the wake of the Christchurch earthquake.
Auckland's Vector Arena offered the venue for free which allowed organisers to waive the entrance fee, instead asking spectators to make a donation.
Netball New Zealand staff volunteered to run the event - even Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken was on the door collecting donations, while chief executive Raelene Castle was in charge of the score chart.
Castle was forced to work overtime in the third quarter in particular when the Mystics went on a blistering 19-9 scoring run to effectively seal the win.
The result will provide the Mystics with a strong jolt of confidence heading into a tough away game against the West Coast Fever on Monday night.
Last night's win boosted the Mystics back into the top four, but they will need the two points against the Fever on Monday if they are to remain there.
Perhaps conscious of the fact the Mystics have to back up on Monday against the West Coast Fever following a tough road trip to Perth, coach Debbie Fuller sprung a surprise in her starting line-up, with young shooter Bailey Mes getting her first ANZ Championship start at goal shoot.
The youngster had a strong cameo, shooting six from seven, but with the Mystics midcourt tentative on their feeds into the newcomer, Fuller opted to restore their regular forward line for the second quarter, bringing on key strike weapon Cathrine Latu.
The injection of Latu, who is still waiting for the Court of Arbitration for Sport to make a ruling on her eligibility to play for the Ferns at this year's World Championships, initially sparked a surge from the Mystics as the midcourters managed to supply quick ball in to the circle.
The Tactix soon cut that supply chain down, stepping up their through court defence to prevent the Mystics from playing at the speed they would like.
By halftime the Red and Blacks had closed the gap to just three goals and had it not been for some wobbly shooting from Anna Thompson, the score could have been even tighter.
Thompson landed just two from four attempts for the quarter, as she displayed a hesitancy to put up the shots over the long, flailing arms of Anna Scarlett.
The Silver Ferns star and her defensive partner Rachel Rasmussen stepped up the intensity in the third quarter limiting the Tactix to just nine goals.
With their defence end feeding them a wealth of possession, the Mystics went on a scoring rampage, opening up a 47-34 lead heading into the final quarter.
Northern Mystics 58 (Cathrine Latu 29/32, Maria Tutaia 23/30, Bailey Mes 6/8)
Canterbury Tactix 45 (Donna Wilkins 32/35, Anna Thompson 11/17, Ellen Halpenny 2/4). Halftime: 28-25.
