Recap NBL1 West | Round 8 Sunday

Featured images: Michael Bailey

With Donica Cosby and Joel Murray leading the way, the Mandurah Magic scored a pair of Sunday NBL1 West wins at home to the Goldfields Giants.

Round 8 in the NBL1 West wrapped up with the Magic women beating the Giants 80-68 before the men backed it up with the 87-78 triumph.

RECAP NBL1 WEST | ROUND 8 SATURDAY

RECAP NBL1 WEST | ROUND 8 FRIDAY

TRAIL BLAZING WINTER EMBRACING MEN'S COACHING CHALLENGE

GERALDTON MOVE EVERYTHING BLANCHETT HOPED AND MORE

EDWARDS PROUD OF LEAGUE'S GROWTH AS 200-GAME PLAYER

ROBERTS HAS FULL FAITH SUCCESS ON HORIZON FOR EAGLES

WOMEN

Mandurah Magic (80) defeated Goldfields Giants (68)

The Mandurah Magic got the much-needed Sunday win beating the Goldfields Giants 80-68 with new arrival Donica Cosby starring to keep them in the top eight hunt.

It has been a challenging start just on a personnel front for the Magic so far this season with Nicole Fransson playing just the four games and initial signings McKenna Dale and Sam Roscoe yet to arrive.

As a result Mandurah had lost three of nine games coming into this weekend but some reinforcements have arrived and both Donica Cosby and Christina Boag were in the line-up on Friday night in a one-point loss to the Willetton Tigers.

With Cosby arriving after her season in Finland finished and on the back of previously playing at the Red City Roar in the NBL1 North, and Boag returning to the league having previously won a championship with the Rockingham Flames, they were significant inclusions.

That made the job tougher for the Giants as well who arrived having lost the previous night to the South West Slammers, but it proved to be a tight affair over the opening three quarters.

No more than eight points separated the two teams up until three quarter-time with Mandurah leading by three points after the first period before stretching that lead out to five by half-time.

It was just a two-point advantage then by three quarter-time for the Magic and they pulled away in the final period completing an 11-0 run on the way to lead by 15 points, and win by 12.

The victory improves Mandurah to a 4-7 record on the season with Donica Cosby starring with 24 points, three rebounds and two steals on the back of shooting 9/12 from the floor, 3/3 from downtown and 3/3 at the free-throw line.

The veterans of the Magic stepped up with Emma Klasztorny producing 16 points, 14 rebounds and two steals in the 264th game of her career while the games record holder Casey Mihovilovich had 15 points, five boards, five assists and three steals in her 564th appearance.

The Giants are now 1-7 on the season with the defeat despite Jhazmin Joson producing 20 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals while playing 37 minutes.

Anne Zipser added 16 points and seven rebounds, Ash Sidebottom 13 points, four boards and four blocked shots, and Lauren Fech four points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.

The Magic will remain at home to play host to the Perth Redbacks this coming Saturday night while the Giants are back home to take on the Lakeside Lightning.

MANDURAH MAGIC 80 (Cosby 24, Klasztorny 16, Mihovilovich 15)

GOLDFIELDS GIANTS 68 (Joson 20, Zipser 16, Sidebottom 13)

MEN

Mandurah Magic (87) defeated Goldfields Giants (78)

Joel Murray might have had half the output he did on Friday but his 25 points on Sunday was still instrumental in the 87-78 home victory against the Goldfields Giants.

Mandurah had a tremendously impressive win on the road to end the winning streak of the Willetton Tigers on Friday with Murray putting up a stunning 50-point performance.

They were then awaiting hosting the Giants at Mandurah Aquatic and Recreation Centre on Sunday with Goldfields starting its double on the road this weekend by beating the South West Slammers the previous evening.

That set up the Sunday match up to conclude Round 8 in the NBL1 West with the Magic getting off to the fast start to lead 29-19 by the end of the opening quarter.

Goldfields worked back into the contest impressively, though, and put up 30 points to 28 in the second term to cut the Mandurah advantage to 57-49 at the main break having been down 15 earlier in the quarter.

The Magic lead did get back out to 16 points in the third quarter but the Giants weren’t done and delivered a tremendous fightback to even hit the lead thanks to a Randy Bell bucket with 4:45 on the clock.

That set up a big finish to the contest with neither team a stranger to playing in nail-biting finishes so far this season.

In the end it was Murray showing his quality once more with a go-ahead three-pointer for Mandurah before sharpshooter Jarrod Molnar hit another from deep with a minute to play which ultimately would seal the nine-point victory for the home team.

With the win, Mandurah improves to a 7-5 record on the season with the double win weekend with Joel Murray finishing with another 25 points, seven assists and three rebounds on 9/18 shooting from the floor and 6/6 at the free-throw line.

Julian Pesava was back to making a significant contribution too with 24 points and six rebounds for the Magic while Lachlan Bertram produced 14 points, four boards and two assists, Jarrod Molnar 11 points and six rebounds, and Michael Durr eight points, 17 boards and three assists.

It might have been a loss for the Giants, but there was plenty to be encouraged about under interim coach Sharni Winter and with captain Jerome Reid playing his 200th game.

Randy Bell delivered 24 points, seven assists and three rebounds for Goldfields with De'Sean Parsons contributing 19 points, 18 boards, three assists and two steals, Kon Anguik 13 points and seven rebounds, Hamish Cummings 12 points and three boards, and Mayo Malek 10 points and five rebounds.

The Magic will remain at home to play host to the Perth Redbacks this coming Saturday night while the Giants are back home to take on the Lakeside Lightning.

MANDURAH MAGIC 87 (Murray 25, Pesava 24, Bertram 14)

GOLDFIELDS GIANTS 78 (Bell 24, Parsons 19, Anguik 13)