Basketball: Ajax has no answers to relentless Magic

Magic A thrashed Ajax 2 85-32 in the women's club autumn league on Tuesday night, improving to 3-0 in the process.

It was a dominant performance from the Magic, with six players cracking double figures.

Grace Allan and Kelly Nafatali top scored with 20 points each and Kali Bennett, the Otago Goldrush's American import, chipped in with 14.

Ajax struggled to unlock Magic's full-court defence, the relentless pressure contributing to six shot clock violations and numerous turnovers. While the final score was a blow-out, the first quarter gave no indication of what was to come.

Lizzy Redpath opened and closed the scoring in the first quarter as Ajax found itself just two points in arrears after 10 minutes. Both teams lacked patience and were guilty of missing easy lay-ups as the match looked set for a dog fight.

However, Bennett drained a three-pointer to start the second quarter and the Magic never looked back. Ajax managed just one basket in the first seven minutes of the quarter, before Lucy Heenan knocked down a three-pointer to stop the rot.

The Magic took a 37-15 lead into the third quarter, and quickly set about building on it. Suzie Bates was instrumental on offence, consistently drawing defenders on drives to the basket, before feeding her outside shooters.

Captain Gianna Leoni and Hannah Gentle were the benefactors, with an abundance of open looks from outside as the Magic pulled out to a 58-21 lead at three-quarter time.

The Magic added another 27 points in the final quarter as it cashed in with easy fast break points. For the winless Ajax, Redpath top-scored with 13 points and worked tirelessly against Magic's physical and well-organised defence.

Magic's Bennett, Allan and Puawai Shortland were a menace defensively, using their tall frames to dominate the paint and force Ajax into low-percentage shots. The evening's other matches were also blow-outs. Ajax 1 beat Falcons A 114-54 and Varsity A beat the Coasters 76-36.

- Robert van Royen.