Canterbury Tactix have ended a miserable trans-Tasman league campaign on a stunning note, upsetting Waikato Bay of Plenty 62-58 to record their first win in more than year.
The Tactix brought the Christchurch crowd to their feet in their last regular season game, ending a 21-match losing streak that dates back to March 2014.
The home side held their nerve in the final quarter, winning it 17-13 in a reversal from many of their games this year, where they fell away late.
Tactix captain Anna Thompson says the result represents a triumph for persistence.
"The girls have shown character all season, so to finish with a win is very heart-warming," she said.
The Tactix nevertheless receive with the wooden spoon for the sixth successive season, boasting the same 1-12 win-loss record as last year.
It was a meaningless encounter for the Magic, who had already secured second place in the New Zealand conference and will host an elimination semi-final against Southern Steel in Hamilton on Saturday.
A seventh loss from 13 games ensures they will finish well behind Northern Mystics, the leading New Zealand qualifiers who finish the regular season against Melbourne Vixens on Monday.
Magic led 15-12 after the first quarter but the scores were locked 29-29 and 45-45 after each of the next two stanzas as they struggled to impose themselves against the more committed hosts.
Thompson had a strong game at centre for the Tactix but their best players were arguably at the extreme ends of the court.
Shooters Mwai Kumwenda (39 goals from 44 attempts) and Bailey Mes (22/24) were more effective as a combination than their opposites while goal keep Demelza Fellowes was outstanding in her last game before retiring.
The former Australian international pulled off five deflections and two intercepts and was part of a defensive effort which restricted most of the Magic attack to being funnelled through goal shoot Jo Harten, who put up 58 off their 67 shoots, landing 52 of them.
Share
