Mandurah’s top basketball team will have to do it the hard way in the NBL1 West women’s finals after a tough 12-point loss to Willetton on Saturday, but first they get another opportunity to celebrate their legend of a leader.
The 81-69 result in the penultimate game of the regular season ended any hope the Magic had of finishing in the top four.
Now sixth on the ladder, they could still finish anywhere between fifth and seventh based on the outcomes of three critical final round matches this Friday night, including their own very winnable battle at home against Lakeside Lightning, which will be Mandurah and WA basketball legend Casey Mihovilovich’s 550th appearance.
The Magic made an encouraging start in their Saturday night game against the Tigers, but the home side still had a five point break at quarter-time.
That lead grew to 13 points in the second quarter and 20 in the third before they won by 12.
Mihovilovich, in her league record 549th game, did all she could to lift her team once more with 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals while shooting 3/6 from behind the three-point line.
Hannah Hank also had 18 points and five rebounds, Sarah Toeaina 10 points, eight boards and four assists, and Kat Tudor nine points, four rebounds, four steals and three assists.
But Tiger import big Melisa Brcaninovic was the game’s standout performer with 29 points, three rebounds and two assists with 5/9 three-point shooting. Former MVP Alex Sharp showed her all-round abilities with 19 points, 18 boards, six assists, three steals and two blocks
Willetton’s victory last weekend was their 10th on the trot in an ominous statement to the other finals-bound teams, including the top-ranked Cockburn Cougars.
Mandurah and Willetton remain the only teams to hand the Cougars a loss this season.