The Mandurah Magic were unable to put a dent in the Geraldton Buccaneers’ 9-0 home winning streak after losing to the side by 12 points on Saturday night.
The Buccs started off strong at Activewest Stadium, despite being without 2019 grand final MVP Liam Hunt, and were soon 12 points ahead in the first quarter.
Magic coach Mark Utley ensured the men’s team kept the Buccs on their toes, forcing the home side to work for every point they scored.
The Magic was also without crucial players Isaac Abergut and CJ Bobbitt, which proved to be a bigger impediment to them than the Buccs being without Hunt.
Geraldton maintained the lead for much of the second half and worked to keep their hopes of a top-two finish alive, coming away with the win despite shooting below 30 per cent.
The Buccs’ Zac Gattorna and Malik Meunier led the way for the home side, with Gattorna keeping the Magic at arm’s length with eight of the side’s first 10 points of the third quarter.
Dequan Abrom led a late charge for the Magic which closed the gap to just five points late in the quarter but the Buccs proved too strong for the away side, taking the win 94-82.
Abrom did his best to lift Mandurah over the line but it wasn’t quite enough, giving a stellar performance with 27 points, 14 rebounds and three assists, while Ray Turner had 15 points and four rebounds and youngster Byron Pearson 13 points and two boards.
Geraldton’s dynamic duo Gattorna and Meunier continued their hot form as Gattorna amassed 26 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Meunier pulled in 21 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
The Buccs stay in third place while the Magic continues its fight to lift itself from the bottom of the ladder.
The Mandurah Magic men will play seventh-placed Joondalup Wolves on Saturday night at home.