Magic 51
Mystics 38
The Northern Mystics have been dealt a harsh reality check in their opening match of the transtasman league, suffering a hefty loss to the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic.
Buoyed by some promising pre-season results, the Mystics had fancied their chances of sneaking a win against the Magic, who perhaps weren't as well-prepared as their northern neighbours.
But toppling a side as deep in firepower as the Magic was always going to be a tough ask for the young Mystics side, who are still very much in development mode for the ANZ Championship.
The Magic, who fielded six first-string Silver Ferns in their starting line-up last night at Trusts Stadium were too fast, too strong and too accurate for the Aucklanders.
Casey Williams, warming to her new role at goal-defence, grabbed her usual brace of intercepts and combined exceptionally well with new defensive partner Leana de Bruin, who defected from the Mystics in the off-season.
Although the pair picked up a lot of ball for their side, de Bruin said she and Williams still had plenty to work on as a combination.
"We're still working tidying up a few things. Both of us are feeling a little bit out of our comfort zones but we're making good progress," she said.
De Bruin said her side were determined to come out and nail a convincing first-up win last night to set them on the right course for the season.
"It's always a bit of a confidence booster," she said.
"We were nervous because there was a lot of talk about how much work the Mystics had put in in the off-season, but we also worked hard over the summer so we wanted to put that in to action."
The Mystics took advantage of a series of unforced errors from the Magic in a messy opening to the game, to lead 4-1 in the early minutes. While the turnover rate was high from the Magic, it did not seem to matter with rangy defenders de Bruin and Williams snaffling plenty of possession.
With the Magic leading 16-8 at the first break, the Mystics responded well early on in the second quarter, eating their way into a small chunk of the Magic's lead, but soon reverted back to their default option of putting the high ball in to shooter Cathrine Latu. The Mystics midcourt were often left with little other option due to the sterling defensive work done by Laura Langman and Joline Henry outside the circle.
With the Magic snaring the weight of possession, their attack end grew in confidence, with midcourters Laura Langman and Frances Solia finding good flow through the court. The interplay between the shooters, Irene van Dyk and Maria Tutaia, also looked slick.
The Magic were in control at halftime, leading 33-20.
Recognising the Mystics' attack had become too static, coach Te Aroha Keenan introduced mobile Jade Topia at goal-shoot in the third quarter. While Topia opened up the shooting circle with some well-timed moves, she showed a lack of finish at times.
The defensive pairing of Vilimaina Davu and Stephanie Bond did well to limit the Magic to just 18 goals in the final two quarters but the Auckland side could not make up any ground on attack.
