A fourth-quarter blitz has helped the South Pac Magic to a comeback win.
It on Tuesday outscored Varsity 29-14 in the final quarter for a 67-62 win as women’s club basketball returned after two weeks’ holiday.
Millie Simpson (22 points) had 15 of those 29 points, the Magic guard hitting three triples and finding her way to the hoop to haul in the deficit.
It ignited the Magic scoring, which had been lacking early.
Varsity jumped out to a 17-2 lead as it dominated the first quarter.
It generated stops and pushed the ball to attack the Magic in transition.
Elly Koehler had seven of Varsity’s first 13 points and while the Magic offence improved, Varsity took a 20-10 lead to quartertime.
That became 30-12 as Varsity continued to push and forward Alana Wouters (13 points) got to the hoop.
Magic called timeout and a mini-comeback followed.
Bigs Letitia Mullaly (14 points) and Fay Fualau (18 points) began to score inside.
That meant Varsity’s transition opportunities dried up, although it held a 33-25 halftime lead.
Fualau and Simpson continued that run early in the third quarter and the score closed to 37-34.
Varsity hit back later in the quarter. A Holly McCleery three-pointer made it 48-38 at three-quartertime.
Varsity’s scoring dried up, while Simpson took over for the Magic. She hit three three-pointers early in the quarter to reel in the deficit, before Fualau and Mullaly helped extend the gap to nine.
Varsity reduced that back to five, but the late momentum swing was too much to haul in.
In the other game, Ajax thrashed a heavily depleted Falcons Dandelions side 86-41.
Hannah Matehaere had 21 points, while Samara Gallaher — in her first game since concussion problems forced her into an extended break four years ago — had 18 points.
That result leaves Ajax and South Pac to play off for the top playoff seed next week.
The Dandelions will play the loser of that game in one semifinal in two weeks’ time.
The winner of next week’s match between Varsity and the Andy Bay Falcons will play the top-seeded team in the other semifinal.
