THE Mandurah Magic men’s team made it two from two in an impressive round of results.
The wins began on Friday night with an impressive win against last year’s premiers the Wanneroo Wolves in Joondalup.
The Magic went in as underdogs but were able to fight it out to secure a four-point victory, 104 to 100.
The Magic were outscored in the first two periods to trail by seven at the end of the half.
Despite the Magic’s best efforts they were unable to reduce the margin in the third to still trail by seven.
However some great defensive pressure contained the Wolves to 15 points in the last while the Magic were able to add 26 points to come from behind and win by four.
Thomas Remmerswaal was the Magic’s top scorer with 31 while Taylor Mullenax (16) and Aaron Trahair (14) were also good.
Taylor Land was also influential with seven assists.
The Magic were able to account for the Kalamunda Eastern Suns by 19 points in the second game of the round.
The Magic were challenged throughout the game but were still able to outscore the Suns in every period to win 104 to 85.
Land and Mullenax top scored for the Magic with 24 points each while Remmerswaal, in a fiery tussle with the Suns’ Nebojsha Franich, added 21 points to the tally.
The wins lift the Magic to third on the ladder heading into the round seven clash with the Cockburn Cougars.
The Magic Women would be hoping some of the men’s good form rubs off on them as they slipped to their seventh straight loss on the weekend.
The women lost their Friday night game to league leader Wanneroo Wolves by 14 points after playing a competitive brand of basketball but were then soundly beaten by the lowly Kalamunda Eastern Suns by 12 points.
The Magic were competitive against the Wolves trailing by just two points at half time.
A terrible third term, which saw the Magic add just nine to the Wolves’ 23, lost them a chance for the win.
The Magic outscored the Wolves by two in the last to lose 77 to 58.
The Magic lacked a key scoring avenue with Tarsha Fletcher top scoring with 11 points.
The final score flattered the Magic in their second game of the round.
The Magic struggled to find an avenue to score in the opening three periods while the Suns managed to consistently hit threes and drive to the basket.
To their credit the Magic, trailing by 22 points, rallied in the last and looked as though they could steal the win.
The Suns however found their feet and managed to hold on for a 12-point win, 85 to 73.
Gemma Thomas was the Magic’s top scorer with 22 while Fletcher and Shelley Boston both added 14.
Why the Magic didn’t bring the determination and effort that they brought to the last period to the whole game is a mystery.
The team needs to find something next round against the winless Cockburn Cougars if they are to have any hope of playing finals this year.