West Recap | Round 13 Sunday

Image credit: @hyperfocusimages | Michael Bailey

Hamish Warden stepped up with six three-pointers to cover for the Mandurah Magic losing leading scorer Julian Pesava to injury in Sunday's NBL1 West after the Magic women also prevailed against the Goldfield Giants.

WEST RECAP | ROUND 13 SATURDAY

WEST RECAP | ROUND 13 FRIDAY

WEEDEN GIVING SLAMMERS HIS ALL ONE LAST TIME

WOMEN

Mandurah Magic (102) defeated Goldfields Giants (64)

The Mandurah Magic maintained their hold on a finals position in the NBL1 West with the 102-64 home win over the Goldfields Giants with McKenna Dale and Claire Jacobs combining for 48 points.

The Magic came into the match up at Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre playing their lone game of the weekend and trying to bounce back from a last up loss to the Willetton Tigers.

The Giants were also playing their sole game of the round on the road and looking to snap an eight-game losing run but it was never going to be easy against a team looking to consolidate their hold on a finals place.

Mandurah started the game strongly with 24 points to 12 in the first quarter on the back of shooting 9/15 from the floor opposed to the 5/19 from the Giants.

It was another 28 points to 22 in the second term in favour of the Magic and as a result the home team went into the half-time break leading 52-34.

It was more of the same throughout the second half as the lead grew to as much as 30 points in the third quarter and 38 in the fourth before they secured the 38-point victory in the finish.

That came on the back of the Magic shooting 54 per cent from the field and the Giants just 35 while Mandurah knocked down 14/27 from three-point territory to the 3/19 from Goldfields.

The victory improves the Magic to an 8-7 record on the season to be solid inside the top eight with McKenna Dale playing a starring role with 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals with 5/8 three-point shooting.

Claire Jacobs also had 22 points, four rebounds and four assists with 4/7 three-point shooting while Tiana Palmer contributed 13 points, eight assists and six boards, Tina Stephens 10 points, four rebounds and three steals, and Grace Berg 10 points, four assists and three rebounds.

The Giants have now lost nine straight matches to hold a 2-12 record with Nici Gilday top-scoring against the team she started her SBL/NBL1 West career with by finishing with 20 points, five rebound and three assists.

Fellow import Erin Antosh added 16 points, five rebounds and two steals with Hazelle Yam adding 12 points and four assists, and Josephine Odude six points, four rebounds and two blocked shots.

MANDURAH MAGIC 102 (Dale 26, Jacobs 22, Palmer 13)

GOLDFIELDS GIANTS 64 (Gilday 20, Antosh 16, Yam 12)

MEN

Mandurah Magic (93) defeated Goldfields Giants (77)

The Mandurah Magic outscored the Goldfields Giants 32 to 17 in the fourth quarter on the way to the 93-77 Sunday victory despite the loss early on to injury of leading scorer Julian Pesava.

Both teams came into Round 13 sitting sixth and seventh respectively in the standings but also both struggling in recent times coming into the weekend with five-game losing streaks respectively.

Goldfields snapped their losing run on Saturday night with the win over the bottom placed South West Slammers while the Magic were playing their lone game of the weekend on Sunday at Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre.

There was plenty at stake in the match up and there was drama early for the Magic with championship winner Julian Pesava suffering what appeared a nasty looking knee injury in the opening four minutes.

He has been delivering a career-best 23.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists a game as well this season for the Magic so dealing with his absence was going to be an issue for a team on a five-game losing slide.

Despite that, Mandurah did well to be leading 19-18 by the end of the first quarter but then Goldfields found some momentum in the second term to outscore the Magic 28 points to 20.

The Giants did that with shooting 6/9 from behind the three-point arc and as a result went into the half-time break on top 46-39.

The Magic, though, took over coming out of the half-time break and completed a 12-0 scoring run and went on to outscore Goldfields 22 points to 14 to be leading by one at three quarter-time.

Mandurah then made sure of the win with 32 points to 17 in the last quarter with 6/9 three-point shooting and 10/10 at the foul line to end up winning the 16-point victory.

The result improves the Magic to an 8-8 record on the season and to remain solid in a playoff position as the defending champions.

In the absence of Pesava, it was Hamish Warden who stepped up impressively for Mandurah finishing with a season-best 20 points on 6/10 three-point shooting.

Lachlan Bertram then continued his career-best season on the back of last year's championship with the Magic by delivering 25 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals with 5/12 shooting from downtown.

Jahcoree Ealy also had 18 points, 13 assists, nine rebounds and four blocked shots, Sammie Freeman 17 points and 16 boards, and Jermaine Malie 11 points, five assists and three rebounds.

Goldfields end up splitting their weekend double on the road to now sit at 8-8 on the season as well with Josh Duach delivering 27 points, 10 rebounds and four assists with 6/12 shooting from three-point range.

Shaun Stewart added 17 points, four rebounds and four assists, Michael Jok 10 points, five boards and four assists, and De'Sean Parsons seven points, 12 rebounds, three assists and two steals.

MANDURAH MAGIC 93 (Bertram 25, Warden 20, Ealy 18)

GOLDFIELDS GIANTS 77 (Duach 27, Stewart 17, Jok 10)