It was a case of eighth time lucky for the Northern Mystics as New Zealand netball's perennial underachievers underlined their new-found contender status with a first transtasman league win against the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic at Hamilton last night.
The Magic looked on track for an eighth successive victory against the
Mystics but a brilliant intercept by defender Anna Scarlett in the dying seconds paved the way for goal attack Maria Tutaia to land a long-range bomb right on the final whistle to clinch the Mystics a dramatic 47-46 win at the Mystery Creek Events Centre.
Last year's beaten finalists, the Magic triumphed 45-39 over the Mystics in Auckland two weeks ago as the home team wilted in the final quarter, but this time it was the Magic's turn to fold under pressure.
The Magic were always ahead but the Mystics upped the ante in the final 15 minutes and pipped them at the death to score their first win in eight attempts against New Zealand's best-performed team. In backing up from last week's surprise win over the Melbourne Vixens, the Mystics have underlined their status as genuine contenders this year, handing the Magic their first loss of the season.
The Mystics did the job without Silver Ferns defender Joline Henry, still working off the after-effects of an ankle injury, while coach Debbie Fuller was missing from the sidelines after giving birth to her third child - a daughter - last week.
The Magic were quick out of the blocks and at one stage during the second quarter they led by seven goals. That margin was reduced to just one, 22-21, at halftime but it took until the last second for the visitors to nudge ahead.
Mystics shooters Cathrine Latu (23 from 26) and Tutaia (21 from 23) had the edge over their counterparts, with Magic goal shoot Irene van Dyk landing 26 from 31 and Julianna Naoupu successful with 20 from 31.
Meanwhile, Queensland's 64-42 thrashing of Adelaide at ETSA Park in the netball championship, yesterday kept them in top spot on the ladder and a step closer to a finals berth.
