Stars Come Up Short Against Magic Again

The Go Media Stars have tasted defeat at the hands of the Magic for the second time in a week, going down 71-54 in their round five match in Auckland.

Both sides made a cagey start to the contest, with the Stars hoping to put in a better showing than they delivered a week earlier against the Magic in their loss in Hamilton.

It was the visitors who were the first to gain the ascendancy however, latching onto some sloppy Stars passes and linking well to take a five goal lead.

The burst by the Magic prompted coach Temepara Bailey to call an early time-out, desperate to get her side back on the right track.

Bailey's words of encouragement seemed to work, with the Stars combining well and centre Mila Reuelu-Buchanan knifing the ball through the Magic defence and assisting some much-needed goals.

The Stars continued to apply pressure on the Magic and eventually the bubble burst and they were able to nibble into the deficit.

Starting at goal defence, Monica Falkner set the crowd alight with a well-timed two-pointer to cut the Magic lead to four goals.

The Stars upped the tempo, but weren't able to keep up with their own frenetic pace and with the Magic earning late possessions and converting each time they entered the shooting circle, the Stars were suddenly down 20-11 at quarter break.

The Stars showcased an attractive brand of netball in the second quarter, as connections started to mould on court. Tori Kolose and Reuelu-Buchanan combined well with the shooting duo of Falkner and Maia Wilson.

Kayla Johnson came on at goal defence and steadied the ship at the back of the court, while Samon Nathan made a welcome return from pre-season knee injury, taking her place at wing defence.

After trying for what felt like two business days, Tokaduadua finally got the better of her opposite Saviour Tui after moving to goal keep. Her defence was air-tight like a new Tupperware container and she took an aerobatic intercept to swing the pendulum of momentum the Stars' way.

Falkner was red-hot from the two-point mark and landed three big bombs to keep the Stars in the contest, the Magic threw counter punches of their own and while nothing could separate the sides in a tied quarter, the Magic's first period buffer saw them take a 38-29 advantage into half-time.

The Magic made a polished start to the third quarter and much like a week prior, immediately heaped scoreboard pressure on the Stars who worked vigorously as they tried to win the ball back and find a way back into the match.

Charlie Bell came on at goal shoot and had some nice touches under the hoop, with some well-earned goals.

The Magic continued to have the upper hand though and riding a wave of momentum into the fourth quarter, found themselves with a 56-39 lead.

The Magic reaped the rewards of treasuring possession throughout the contest and conceded 12 less possession changes, which ultimately made a big difference in the outcome.

The Stars refused to bow down though and made some dogged defensive plays which earned them ball back and showed encouraging signs for future games.

The Stars are back at home on Saturday for their first meeting of the season against the Steel.

Stars: 54

Magic: 71

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