A HARD-FOUGHT clash between the Central Pulse and Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic went down to the wire during Round 13 of the ANZ Premiership, with a huge second half from the Magic almost handing them the win but a late flurry from the Pulse ensuring they held onto a 55-51 victory.

The matchup started out relatively evenly, with neither side really able to find momentum as both teams starred defensively and boasted plenty of accuracy. All four goalers were quick to get on the board having no issue finding the post, with the reliable combination of Te Amo Amaru-Tibble and Aliyah Dunn heading up one end, and Khiarna Williams and Caitlin Bassett firing at the other. But while both Pulse and Magic were able to find patches of form to put a couple goals on the board at a time, defensively they canceled one another out as both sides worked hard to generate turnover ball. The midcourt battles were fascinating with Claire Kersten and Sam Winders wreaking havoc on one another, while the matchup between Whitney Souness and Holly Fowler created plenty of intrigue as to who would earn the upper hand, with Souness finding circle edge fairly well but Fowler winning ball back. A couple of late opportunities for the Magic to lead at the first change went missing with a couple of errant attempts not paying off, as a late Dunn goal on the whistle saw scores levelled at 15-apiece at quarter time.

While it appeared the Magic may have a chance following a tight first quarter, it all fell apart in the second as the Pulse stepped up their game massively. While two huge runs of seven goals and five goals respectively, it did not take long for the Pulse to showcase what they are made of and really flip the switch, with an 11-goal lead extending by the 10-minute mark of the second. With Kelera Nawai reading the feeds into Bassett like a book and blocking the goal shooter’s movement, the Magic struggled for an answer with Georgia Tong, Erena Mikaere and Fowler failing to find turnover ball credit to the smooth movement of Souness and Kersten, who were having a field day out the front. Volume was the main issue for the Magic, shooting accurately with ball in hand but not receiving ample feeds off the likes of Grace Kara and Winders of circle edge, as the defensive prowess of both Maddy Gordon and Kersten came to the fore along with a seven-goal buffer (31-24) credit to a huge 16-9 quarter.

But despite their struggles in the second, the Magic came out with a point to prove as the second half began, controlling the airways defensively and finding a couple of runs throughout the quarter. Consistency proved crucial as Williams and Bassett continued to fire in goals with accuracy on their side, while the turnover rate lowered as the side began to treasure possession more. Better placement of feeds off the hand of Winders paid off as Georgie Edgecombe worked hard to block Souness’ speed and ability to find circle edge, taking away that easy access to Dunn and Amaru-Tibble. With evenly matched one-on-ones across the court and all four circle defenders forcing inaccuracy and hesitance on the feed, there was not much between the two sides as the Pulse retained the lead at the final break, albeit by a reduced six-goal margin, 44-38.

Despite winning the final quarter, it was one of missed opportunities for the Magic who had plenty of chances to pile on the scoreboard pressure but had the yips going to post. While the Pulse was still in the lead they did not quite have control, as Dunn and Amaru-Tibble worked hard out the front to tick over the scoreboard. The two goal shooters controlled proceedings missing just one apiece, while it was the Pulse midcourt that took advantage of errant passes as Souness and Kersten gathered pickups and generated momentum out the front. Kara’s ability to find Bassett and Williams inside the circle paid dividends as the margin lessened, however a late flurry from the Pulse attack proved crucial as they ran away with a tense four-goal victory.

For the Pulse, it was Dunn who led all-comers with 41 goals from 44 attempts, as Amaru-Tibble was kept to a lower total than usual with 14 goals to her name. Souness finished with 23 assists while it was hard to come by clean intercepts, with Jury and Nawai registering one and three gains apiece. For the Magic, Bassett (31 from 36) and Williams (20 from 23) shared the load well, with Winders (16 assists) leading her side, registering one of the Magic’s three intercepts in the process.