Teenager shooting sensation Grace Nweke has emerged from coronavirus lockdown without missing a beat, guiding Northern Mystics to the top of the ANZ Premiership table.
Playing before a crowd of family and friends, the Mystics were never headed en route to a 47-40 victory over Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic at the Auckland Netball Centre.
Opening the contest with four unanswered goals, the Auckland-based side led after each quarter, fending off a charge that carried their rivals to level-pegging at 16-16 in the second quarter.
While both sides showed some rust through the court, Nweke provided stability in the Mytics shooting circle and a huge target for her feeders to find under goal.
Wing attack Peta Toeava was eventually named Player of the Match, finding her mark 33 times with passes into the red zone. Most were lobs for the towering Nweke, who connected on 41 of 45 attempts (91 percent).
The Magic battled against the numbers throughout, fall foul of the penalty count 31-20 and turnovers 24-20.
Shooter Kelsey McPhee was their shining light through the opening half, missing just two of her 15 goal attempts, but fell away badly over the third and fourth quarters, converting 13/23 down the stretch.
Veteran defender Erana Mikaere stood out further down the court, snaring four intercepts, but also incurring the umpire's wrath with 14 penalties. She, and defensive partners Georgia Tong and Holly Fowler, were unable to stem the flow of ball to Nweke.
The piece of the Mystics' puzzle arrived at halftime, when coach Helene Wilson replaced starting goal attack Asher Grapes with Saviour Tui. Grapes had converted just one goal from four attempts, while Tui proved an able sidekick for Nweke, slotting five goals from as many shots.
The result maintained the Mystics unbeaten start into the season's second round, after an opening win over crosstown rivals Northern Stars in March. They face Southern Steel next Saturday, while the Magic must bounce back Mainland Tactix on Friday.
Northern Mystics 47 (Grace Nweke 41/45, Saviour Tui 5/5, Asher Grapes 1/4) WBOP Magic 40 (Kelsey McPhee 26/38, Abigail Latu-Meafou 14/18)
