KEY POINTS:
Canterbury Tactix suffered their second consecutive loss in the transtasman netball championship when they were beaten 58-50 by Melbourne Vixens in Christchurch last night.
The Vixens, powered by Australian international Sharelle McMahon proved too slick in attack as they bounced back from their own 38-39 defeat by the Adelaide Thunderbirds in the previous round.
They now have three wins and loss while the Tactix have two wins and two losses after four rounds.
McMahon was a thorn in the side of the Tactix defence and her combination with centre Natasha Chokljat and wing attack Renae Hallinan provided goalshoot Caitlin Thwaites with an ample supply of ball.
Victoria Smith and Bessie Manu were unable to stop the flow of ball and Tactix coach Helen Mahon-Stroud was forced to bring on Demelza Fellowes for Manu at goal defence in the second half but that did not work too.
Compared to the Tactix' 54 attempts in the game, the Vixens enjoyed the lion's share with 73.
Thwaites and McMahon did not shoot particularly well but they out-rebounded Smith and Manu to get second bites of the cherry each time.
The Tactix had got off to a good start to take a two-goal lead early in the game but a wild pass by wing attack Maree Bowden that turned the ball over in the 7th minute gave the Vixens that opening they needed to turn the game around.
From 8-8, the Melbourne side swept to a 16-13 first quarter lead as the Tactix either turned ball over or squandered turnover chances.
In the circle, Jodi Brown and Anna Thompson appeared reluctant to make the shot and in trying to get closer, often lost the ball with the extra pass.
The Tactix started brightly in the third quarter to cut the deficit to four at 33-37 but goalkeep Bianca Chatfield and goal defender Johannah Curran tightened things up to keep Tactix from closing the margin down.
Wasted turnovers hurt the Tactix badly and although they outscored their opponents 15-14 in the third quarter, they still had a six-goal margin to bridge in the final quarter.
The Tactix had a sniff of pulling off an unlikely win when they closed to within five early in the final quarter but a Bowden intercept once again was wasted by a loose pass and the Vixens coasted home.
Brown, who shot at 95 per cent, converting 36 from 38 attempts was player of the match. Thompson shot 14 from 17 for an 82 per cent conversion rate.
McMahon converted 18 from 21 while Thompson shot 40 from 52.
In the end the Tactix will feel they did not use all the opportunities that came their way with turnover ball.
Tactix centre Jule Seymour said too many errors had been made in the first half.
" It is really hard to get the ball and when we do, we have to treasure it - but it was also good pressure by them to force us into errors.
" They have classy players and got nice skills so it's difficult to get the ball off them."
McMahon said she was happy with the way the ball flowed through mid-court today but the team had thrown away too many balls.
" I guess that comes with the speed we are trying to play the game at."
- NZPA
