Noeline Taurua is a hard woman to please. Even though her Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic side trounced the Force 53-39 at the North Shore Events Centre yesterday, coach Taurua wasn't really happy with their performance.
"I am happy for the win but I think we let ourselves down from
last weekend [where they beat the Diamonds 60-51]," she said.
"We started off really well and we had real purpose, but we lost structure in a lot of things we did and it was a lot of our own doing."
The Magic had the National Bank Cup match won in the first quarter, where they led 16-5.
In a match that resembled last year's National Provincial Championship final in which Waikato beat North Harbour 62-43, the Force were all over the place.
They lacked drive through court, couldn't seem to connect with one another and were guilty of a huge number of unforced errors.
Their defence was solid throughout but what ball they did pick was almost always lost on attack.
Force coach Yvonne Willering made eight changes throughout the match, none of which had any real effect as the Magic continued their unrivalled run.
For the Magic, Laura Langman did a sterling job against her Silver Fern team mate Temepara George, and Joline Henry was unstoppable at goal defence and deservedly player of the match.
"There were a lot of things that were error-ridden on our behalf and we lacked consistency. Those are things we need to brush up on," Taurua said.
"We are coming along but are still making far too many errors."
A disappointed Willering said her side's high turnover rate was what cost them.
"I think we really lost the links between the defence and the attack. I thought we did some good defence work but we didn't capitalise on it.
"If you look at it, it is not just one individual. That is why it is hard as a coach because a substitution just won't do it for you."
Shooting was once again an issue for the Force. Willering used three shooters - Catherine Latu, Teresa Tairi and Daneka Wipiiti - who scored 39 shots from 53 attempts.
The Magic's van Dyk scored 42 from 45, Anna Senio 10/14 and former Diamond player Kiri Adams 1/1.
"If we were playing at our best then as a coach I would be really worried about the future," Willering said.
"But we just have to make sure we focus on our own game. Respect the opposition but don't worry about the opposition."
After two rounds the Magic are at the top of the table, with the defending champions the Southern Sting.
The Sting cast aside the Capital Shakers 55-33 in Invercargill yesterday, leading in each quarter 13-8, 25-18 and 41-26.
On Saturday the Auckland Waitakere Diamonds bounced back from their first round defeat to beat the Canterbury Flames 57-44.
The Otago Rebels beat the Flyers 63-36.
Round two
* Diamonds 57 Flames 44
* Rebels 63 Flyers 36
* Sting 55 Shakers 33
* Magic 53 Force 39
Noeline Taurua is a hard woman to please. Even though her Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic side trounced the Force 53-39 at the North Shore Events Centre yesterday, coach Taurua wasn't really happy with their performance.
"I am happy for the win but I think we let ourselves down from
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