Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic have kissed goodbye their chances of defending their transtasman title after losing to the Queensland Firebirds in the minor semifinal of the ANZ Championships in Hamilton last night.
After a shocking start that saw them six goals down in the first quarter, Magic found theirfeet in the second quarter to claw their way back to be just one goal behind at the half-time mark, 25-24.
The third quarter wasn't a great one for goal attack Ellen Halpenny, who gave away some crucial ball helping the lead stretch back out to seven goals. A timely injury break saw coach Noeline Taurua deliver some harsh words and the lead was peeled back to five heading into the fourth quarter, 41-36.
But the poor start plagued the local side and they weren't able to get through some great Firebirds defence, going down at the final whistle 53-50.
