Magpies’ dominant run sinks Phoenix

Magpies head into the mid-season break with a 6-2 win-loss record after brushing aside a shaky Phoenix outfit by 23 points in round nine of the Albany Basketball Association women’s A-grade competition on Tuesday night.

The opening 10 minutes of the contest was a fairly even but before half-time Magpies began what was the most dominant period of the match.

Phoenix trailed by five points but what was about to unfold was hard to fathom as Magpies put their opponents under immense pressure and virtually killed off the game.

Magpies switched to full court defence and it had an immediate impact, as they trapped Phoenix in their own half and starting piling on the points.

Back-to-back baskets had Magpies nine points up with five minutes to play but by half-time the margin had ballooned to 17 as the ball was virtually locked in the Magpies’ attacking half.

Jasmyne Jones very quickly pushed the deficit to 20 points with a long range basket to start the second half and the Magpies scoring spree continued.

Magpies were on a 22-0 run stretching back to the midway point of the first, and finally Phoenix broke the drought through Cassandra Cheetham five minutes into the last half.

But the damage was done.

The margin hovered around 20 points for the remainder of the game and despite the brave efforts of Cheetham and Hollee Siviour their side was simply no match for last season’s grand finalists.

Siviour (7 points) and Cheetham (6) fought on valiantly but Magpies had too much depth and scoring power as they coasted to a comfortable 44-21 victory.

Jones top scored with 10 points and was well supported by Nardia Humphries (9) and Macy Lane (8) to guide Magpies to their sixth win and move five points clear in second spot.

Ladder leaders Panthers made it seven wins on the bounce as they finished 21-point winners over the Raiders under-18 development squad.

Jade Dimer was superb with 19 points and guard Kayla Thomas added 10 as Panthers scored a 56-35 result that maintains their unbeaten record.

The Humphries twins, Nardia and Narelle, combined for 22 of Raiders’ 35 points.