Swifts breakthrough for magical victory
Staff Writers, Tuesday, 17 April 2012.
Quarter by Quarter scores
NSW Swifts: 15 - 21(6) - 37(16) - 49(12)
WBOP Magic: 13 - 24(11) - 37(13) - 47(10)
Shooting Stats
NSW Swifts
Susan Pratley: 26/31 @ 84%
Carla Dziwoki: 23/26 @ 88%
Team: 49/57 @ 86%
WBOP Magic
Irene van Dyk: 24/26 @ 92%
Julianna Naoupu: 23/28 @ 82%
Team: 47/54 @ 87%
A near sell-out crowd (3,665) packed into the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre to witness the NSW Swifts breakthrough for their first victory in the 2012 ANZ Championship, defeating the First Windows WBOP Magic 49-47.
Both teams were desperate for their first victory of the season but it was the NSW Swifts who took the lead going into the first break, 15-11, with the defence and patience paying off.
WBOP Magic started the second quarter on a roll to score the first three goals and steal the lead. With all shooters on song and defence from both teams disrupting play, the Kiwis' zone-style defence proved the difference in the quarter as the Swifts struggled to get the ball into their goal third. A master stroke by coach Lisa Beehag saw Ware move to C and Green to WA for the final four minutes of the quarter which enabled the Swifts to trail only by three, 24-21.
Sam May was injected into the match after the main break, and with Mkoloma and Gerrard working overtime in the circle, the Swifts were able to stifle the WBOP Magic in attack. With the crowd finding its voice, the Swifts were able to lift a gear and even the match going into the final quarter, 37-all.
The Swifts attacking line looked sharp in the opening minutes of the final quarter, calmly working around the zone defence. Full court pressure from the Swifts forced WBOP Magic into errors and the home team stretched their lead to four goals late in the quarter before the visitors pulled back to within one. But that was as close as the WBOP Magic could get, with the boisterous home crowd getting the Swifts over the line for their first victory, 49-47.
The NSW Swifts will return to their home court on Sunday 22 April to take on reigning premiers, the Queensland Firebirds at the Sydney Olympic Park Sports Centre in round four.
NSW Swifts goal shooter Carla Dziwoki said:
"It's very exciting. It's been brewing for a long time so to actually get one on the board is great."
"Our circle defence was fantastic. They were really disciplined and their switches in the circle were unbelievable."
"When Kim Green swapped to WA she changed the pace of the game and kept the WBOP Magic guessing. It really brought another dimension to our game and stepped up a level of intensity."
