Vixens hold off Magic for win

Mar 15, 2015 - 8:09 AM Melbourne Vixens underlined their position at the top of the Australian netball conference with a composed finish to beat a stubborn Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic 51-48 in Tauranga on Sunday.

There was nothing between the two teams after 30 minutes, the Magic shading the first spell 13-12 while the Vixens took the second 15-14 to draw level 27-27 at halftime.

With a sprained rib keeping the Magic's English international Jo Harten sidelined, promising 20-year-old Malia Paseka again filled in at goal shoot.

She shared duties with Silver Ferns goal attack Ellen Halpenny, and while the pair would have been hoping for better accuracy, their work off the ball and ability to split the circle created plenty of opportunities.

Halpenny, who shot 25 from 34, also took on a heavy workload further up the court, while Paseka finished with 23 from 34, displaying outstanding elevation and quick footwork under pressure from English goalkeeper Geva Mentor.

Mentor and Australian international Bianca Chatfield proved a formidable combination at the back for the Vixens, but it was their midcourt attack which really drove the win.

Madison Robinson dictated the tempo from wing attack, her drive to the circle edge and intelligent feeding a huge bonus for shooters Karyn Bailey and Tegan Philip.

Bailey, who missed only four of her 38 attempts for 89 per cent accuracy, was particularly strong on the base line and worked the circle well with the speedy and elusive Philip, who finished with 17 from 25.

In her 100th ANZ Championship game, Leana de Bruin kept the Vixens shooters honest from goal defence, while young keeper Kristiana Manu'a developed in confidence and timing as the game progressed.

The pair kick-started a fourth-quarter revival after the Vixens eased away to a 43-38 lead at the three-quarter mark.

With just on six minutes remaining, the Magic battled back to grab a 48-47 lead, forcing the Australians to call a time-out to reset.

They recovered to sink the next four goals on end, rebounding strongly and stifling the Magic midcourt to continue their unbeaten start to the competition.

Source: AAP