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Magic edge past brave Thunderbirds |
Magic edge past brave Thunderbirds | 7.04.2008 | |
A DECISIVE 7-1 run in the final quarter allowed the Waikato Magic to overhaul the Adelaide Thunderbirds 46-42 in Rotorua.The Magic are New Zealand’s leading lights in the ANZ Championship but they had to fight tooth and nail to overcome the powerful Thunderbirds outfit.
The game was physical and hardfought with both teams using the same seven player on court for the entire match.
The Magic were actually down 33-36 going into the final quarter but they hit the ground running in that final term and turned the game around with their stellar 7-1 run.
The Magic’s defence then asserted control over the come restricting the Thunderbird’s chance at a comeback win as they managed just six goals in the final 15 minutes of the game.
Magic’s Silver Ferns defenders Casey Williams and Joline Henry were especially miserly and closed down the attack of Thunderbirds’ Natalie Medhurst.
Thunderbirds captain Natalie von Bertouch was exceptional all game but New Zealand goal shooters Irene van Dyk and Maria Tutaia were sharper than their opponents on the day.
The game was tougher than Magic captain and player of the match Amigene Metcalfe anticipated.
"It was really physical and we knew if we just kept sticking to the game plan, the pressure would build and maybe things would go our way," she said.
"The defence in that last quarter picked up the ball that we needed.
"It`s coming, it`s not the flow that we`d like. We can move the ball a lot more."
Von Bertouch admitted that perhaps the ten hours travel time had played a part in the Thunderbirds’ downfall.
"Everyone is very exhausted because it was full-on over the whole 60 minutes," she said.
"They`ve got a strong defence line, those two (Williams and Henry) have been playing together for a while now."
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 Deadly ... a rare Komodo dragon has mauled to death a nine-year-old boy in Indonesia / AFP |
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| Dragon mauls boy to death 06/04/2007 |
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