Round 17 Spotlight | Magic respond at Redbacks' expense

If you thought a Casey Mihovilovich led Mandurah Magic team wouldn’t respond to a disappointing Tuesday night loss on Friday then you don't know much about her 506-game career.

The Magic were playing for their playoff lives on Tuesday night at Bendat Basketball Centre and entered the clash with the Perry Lakes Hawks in their best patch of form for the season having won four of their past five matches.

However, Perry Lakes proved too strong on the same venue they also beat the Magic in to win a championship winning 80-52 and leaving Mandurah to pick up the pieces to try and still maintain a playoff hope when they travelled to Belmont Oasis on Friday night.

Awaiting the Magic was another stern challenge in the form of a Perth Redbacks team on a three-game winning streak who were full of motivation themselves still trying to end the regular inside the top four.

That set the stage for a cracking and important contest for both teams at Belmont Oasis on Friday night, but by the end of the evening Casey Mihovilovich had been the most influential player on the court in her 506th game for the Magic.

She led them to the crucial 81-66 victory that keeps them in the playoff race with another huge game now on Saturday evening against the Rockingham Flames on Saturday.

The race for those seventh and eight spots are fascinating with the Magic now holding a 7-9 record while the Cockburn Cougars are 8-8 and the Perry Lakes Hawks are 8-9. There's only room for two of them in the playoff positions one would think.

The Redbacks will be ruing a golden chance on their home floor to go closer to a top four spot now slipping to 10-7 with just the one game to come next Friday at home to the Cougars.

The Magic led 24-19 by quarter-time on the back of a three from Kelsey Brett just before the end of the opening period.

It was a tight affair throughout the second quarter, though, and the game was well and truly up for grabs at the half-time break with Mandurah only clinging to a 43-40 advantage.

Mandurah took over in the third quarter, though, and when Emma Klasztorny knocked down a three-pointer, they were up 11 halfway through the period.

It then became a bank party the rest of the quarter with Mihovilovich nailing two three-pointers before three quarter-time both off the backboard. Sarah Allen did the same for the Redbacks but the Magic had worked their way well on top heading into the fourth leading 67-50.

The Magic knew they needed to win to keep their playoff hopes alive following Tuesday's loss to Perry Lakes and they never looked like letting the Redbacks seriously back into it in the final term as they went on to score the crucial 81-66 win.

Carly Boag was a dominant force inside for the Magic with 28 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and four steals on efficient 12/17 shooting from the field.

Casey Mihovilovich might now be well over 500 games into her career, but she had just as big an impact as ever for Mandurah with another 17 points, 11 assists, four steals and three rebounds.

Kelsey Brett also had nine points for the Magic, Emma Klasztorny nine points, four rebounds, three steals and two assists, and Rachel Halleen eight points and three boards.

Captain Jess Jakens top-scored for the Redbacks with 20 points, three rebounds, three steals and two assists while shooting 8/11 from the floor.

Sarah Allen stepped up with 13 points for the Redbacks shooting a perfect 5/5 from the field and 3/3 from the three-point line with Raya Thompson adding 11 points and five rebounds, and Makailah Dyer 11 points despite a tough 3/15 shooting night with 0/7 from downtown.

Redbacks coach Craig Allen did fear his group might have been a little flat after a funeral some attended during the day, but he did expect a significantly better performance with what was at stake.

"We were really flat, we didn’t execute what we were looking at doing at all and at the end of the day our effort levels let us down. We got burnt on defensive transition and all those effort things that you are looking for," Allen said. 

"Everyone was flat and it was a big day for some of the girls so from that side of it, it was a hard introduction to the game and understandably so some of them were really quite down. But at the end of the day we didn’t execute in the 40 minutes of game time."

While rightfully disappointed with how his own team played, Allen paid full credit to how well the Magic did perform led by the irrepressible Mihovilovich.

"They played well, 100 per cent so there's no question they needed what they needed to do and credit to them," Allen said. 

"They still have that sniff as far as finals go and they've got that Rockingham game tomorrow and then finishing up next week where they can still end up in that last spot in the eight. 

"Obviously they've got some experienced players out there who know how to get the job done at this time of the year and at the end of the day, they just totally outplayed us. Casey Milo is just a marvel as well and she was the most influential player out there on that court, 100 per cent."

While disappointed with the Friday night result against Magic, Allen was quick to turn his focus to hoping the Redbacks bounce back strongly next Friday back at home against the Cougars to build some momentum to take into the NBL1 West finals.

"It would have been nice to build momentum but now all the momentum has to happen from next week for us now. We have to just literally let that one go and get back together, and try to build into that finals regime now starting from next week," Allen said.

"It puts a little bit of pressure on both teams to secure where we want to go because obviously we want to create some sort of momentum going into finals as well. 

"The week will be a bit of a review of this game but really we have to wash our hands of that and plan for next week, plan for finals and see if we can do what we do. 

"We didn’t do that in the game against Mandurah and at the end of the day it's all about us. You don't like ever losing games, but sometimes you can accept getting beaten if you are outplayed. 

"You don’t like giving away games, though, and we just have to clean up some stuff that we do and we'll talk more about that this week, and stay together as a group. The focus will be to get together as a group and see what we can get done."

NBL1 WEST WOMEN'S DIVISION 2021
ROUND 17

TUESDAY
Perry Lakes Hawks 80 defeated Mandurah Magic 52

THURSDAY
East Perth Eagles 89 lost to Warwick Senators 95
Joondalup Wolves 83 defeated Cockburn Cougars 66

FRIDAY
Perth Redbacks 66 lost to Mandurah Magic 81
Perry Lakes Hawks 74 defeated Kalamunda Eastern Suns 51
Willetton Tigers 129 defeated South West Slammers 33

SATURDAY
Mandurah Magic v Rockingham Flames – Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre 5pm
South West Slammers v Joondalup Wolves – Eaton Recreation Centre 5pm
Warwick Senators v Willetton Tigers – Warwick Stadium 5pm