IN ONE of the most dominant wins in 2025 for an NBL1 side, the Mandurah Magic claimed an astounding 71-point win over the South West Slammers in the West Women’s action at Mandurah Aquatic and Rec Centre on Thursday night.

The two sides came into the match in reasonably similar form, with the Magic having secured two wins from four games while the Slammers had managed one win from three games, so it was shaping as a vital matchup as the winner would be able to keep up with the contenders in the standings.

However, it was a completely one sided affair from the get go, with the home side dropping 38 points in the first quarter to essentially decided the game in the opening 10 minutes. The Slammers were held to just seven points in both the second and third periods, and stood no chance against a relentless Mandurah outfit, as the hosts cruised home to a massive victory.

In a powerful team display, Grace Berg was the standout for the Magic, looking unstoppable at times and leading from the front on the offensive end.

Mandurah Magic (106) def. South West Slammers (35)

Grace Berg – 26 points, nine rebounds, two steals

Coming extremely close to posting a double-double, Berg was immense in a big win for Mandurah, making the most of her 21 minutes of court time and looking extremely dangerous as a scorer.

She could not get off to a better start, nailing her first attempt from the field with a standing triple finding the bottom of the net to get the Magic ahead on the scoreboard in the opening minute of the contest. She then drew a foul inside the paint and converted at the charity stripe to account for all five of her team’s points at that stage.

Another layup shortly followed and it was evident Berg was in for a massive performance, and she kept that trend going with another driving finish and a nice hookshot in the minutes that followed. In the first quarter alone, she had 11 points and looked too good for the opposition.

It was a quieter second period for the 25-year-old, who returned to the game a couple of minutes into the quarter. She did find her way inside to nail another layup midway through the term, before following up her own miss and executing the tip in to perfection a couple of minutes later. Berg again drove inside and finished in the paint to round out a dominant first half, with 17 points to her name by the main change.

Her work on the offensive glass continued in the third quarter, with Berg nailing another tip in opportunity after halftime as the Magic’s lead ballooned towards 50 points. She showed a deft touch around the rim with a nice floater shortly after, before heading back to the bench for another well deserved rest, with the game already in hand for Mandurah.

She had one more stint on the court in the final five minutes of the match, again showing her dominance inside with several makes in the paint as the defence struggled to contain her. She had a highlight play with an and-one late in the piece, finishing through contact and converting at the free throw line to cap off a masterful display.

In just under 21 minutes of court time, Berg finished with 26 points on 11/14 shooting from the field in a dominant display, and led from the front in her team’s most impressive win this year.