It was another disappointing weekend for the Mandurah Magic women as they came up short to the Kalamunda Eastern Suns on Saturday night at the Mandurah Recreation and Aquatic Centre.

The Magic trailed for the entire game and saw their deficit extend out to more than 25 points. The Suns took a 22 point lead into half time behind their outstanding three-point shooting. The Suns shot 50% from behind the arc with Emma Berryman and Chelsea Armstrong doing the most damage.

The Magic were feeling the absence of Gemma Thomas and Ashlee Sidebottom as the Suns cashed in on numerous second chance opportunities. Jennie Rintala and Sarah-Jane Knox were effective on the offensive boards for the Suns as they were able to exploit Mandurah’s lack of height.

The second half was much brighter for the Magic as they slowly chipped away at the Suns’ lead. Casey Mihovilovich and Rachel Halleen provided the bulk of the scoring for team as they looked to restore some momentum in front of a vocal home crowd.

The Magic managed to trim the lead down to as little as nine points in the final quarter but the outside shooting of the Suns was again the decisive factor. Despite Mandurah’s big final quarter, the Suns converted their shots down the stretch to put the result beyond doubt.

Rachel Muenggenborg led five Suns players in double figures with 14 points, while Melissa Moyle and Chelsea Armstrong each had 13.

Mihovilovich led the way for Magic with another double double. She finished with a game high 25 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and five steals. Rachel Halleen was also solid, contributing 18 points.

Kalamunda move into the top four on the State Basketball League ladder for the first time this season. Despite their loss, the Magic still remain in eighth position.

The Mandurah Magic men fared much better in their matchup with the Suns, however the result was a lot closer than most expected, and that the Magic coaching staff would have desired.

The Suns came into their Week Six game at the bottom of the State Basketball League ladder, but in recent weeks have been bolstered by the signing of former Perth Wildcat and NBL star Luke Nevill.

The 7 foot 1 inch centre would dominate the scoring sheet for Kalamunda but the team could not get the job done as the Magic recorded a 111-104 victory.

The Magic dominated early proceedings as the Suns looked to be completely lost on the defensive end. Taylor Mullenax and Rhett Della had the early advantage over the Suns big men but the outside shooting of their opponents kept them in the contest.

The Magic took a 17 point lead into the main change but after a half time rev up from head coach Warren Kuhn, the Suns came out firing in the third quarter.

Nevill shot the ball from all areas on the court and even showed that he had some touch from behind the three point line. A ten point advantage in the third quarter brought the Suns back to within single digits heading into the final term.

However Magic veteran Aaron Trahair regained the momentum for the Magic as he connected on five three pointers for the game and brought the crowd back into the contest.

Rhett Della was instrumental for the Magic underneath the basket and took advantage of Nevill’s lack of speed up and down the floor.

The Suns were able to connect on some three pointers late in the game but it wasn’t enough as the Magic recorded their third straight victory of the season.

Della had his best game for the season for the Magic finishing with a team high 30 points and 15 rebounds, while Taylor Mullenax had 20 and Aaron Trahair finished with 19.

The Magic were again accurate from the floor shooting 52% and 44% from behind the three point line.

Nevill was outstanding for the Suns as he finished with 47 points on 18 of 35 shooting from the field, and also recorded 24 rebounds. Ben Smith contributed 19 points for the Suns. The win sees the Magic remain in seventh position on the ladder, while the Suns still linger in last position on the State Basketball League ladder.

This Friday night the Magic welcome the Cockburn Cougars to the Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre for the second of three straight home games. The women’s game tips off at 6.30pm, while the men take on last year’s State Basketball League champions starting at 8.30pm.