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The Wellington Saints are just one win from a record-extending 13th National Basketball League (NBL) title. The regular season champion Saints rolled the upstart Tauranga Whai 93-68 in the second semifinal at Wellington's TSB Arena on Sunday afternoon, as the club booked its 21st final appearance. LATEST HEADLINES: Maxwell wins MTB World Cup event NZ Warriors hit back beating Tigers Black Sox edge into World Cup final Mystics thrash Tactix for home final Warriors Women black Eels for win The Saints will face the Southland Sharks, who upset the defending champion Canterbury Rams on Saturday, in the title game in the Capital on Sunday (tip-off 2.40pm), a repeat of the 2015 and 2018 finals, both won by Southland. Australian wing Nick Marshall led the Saints with 22 points (9/16 FG, 3/5 3pt), 11 rebounds and six assists, while Kiwi forward Hyrum Harris filled the stat-sheet with 20 points (7/8 FG), six boards, four assists, two steals and two blocks. Mid-season signing Jordan Ngatai added 16 points (6/11 FG, 4/6 3pt), American centre Nick Muszynski 15 points (7/12 FG) and eight rebounds, and Australian guard Shaun Bruce 12 points (4/6 FG, 2/3 3pt) and four boards off the bench. Saints' American big Nick Muszynski throws down a thunderous dunk against the Whai. PHOTO: DAVE LINTOTT PHOTOGRAPHY The Whai had five players score in double-digits, led by Kruz Perrott-Hunt's 15 points (6/14 FG) and six assists. Former NZ Breaker Mojave King put up 13 points (3/8 FG, 5/7 FT) and two steals, Jayden Bezzant 12 points (5/10 FG, 2/4 3pt) off the bench, big Anzac Rissetto 11 points (4/9 FG, 3/6 FT) and seven rebounds, and Junior Tall Black Carter Hopoi 10 points (4/9 FG), eight boards and two steals. The Whai have lacked consistent scoring from their import spots all season and, with only one import on their roster, Sunday was no different, with Australian forward Sean Bairstow being held to five points. Shooting stats told the tale of the tape, with the Saints converting 51 percent from the floor and 42 percent on threes, while the Whai could only manage 36 and 20 percent, respectively. Wellington trailed for just 96 seconds in the game, all in the early part of the first quarter, before jumping out by 12 points. The Whai briefly got back into the contest, reducing the lead to one midway through the second period. However, two baskets right before halftime and a 9-1 run to open the third stretched the lead out to 19 points and then then Saints ran away with the game with a 24-11 fourth quarter. Wellington Saints 93 (Nick Marshall 22, Hyrum Harris 20, Jordan Ngatai 16, Nick Muszynski 15, Shaun Bruce 12) Tauranga Whai 68 (Kruz Perrott-Hunt 15, Mojave King 13, Jayden Bezzant 12, Anzac Rissetto 11, Carter Hopoi 10). 1Q: 26-20, HT: 49-38, 3Q: 69-57

Mystics Goal Keep Catherine Hall was a star in teh win over the Tactix PHOTO: NORTHERN MYSTICS The Northern Mystics have been crowned Minor Premiers and will host the Grand Final in two weeks after delivering a comprehensive 70-56 win over Tactix in Auckland on Sunday. The Tactix will return home to Christchurch to face Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse in next Sunday’s Elimination Final with plenty to ponder after being outclassed across the board by a slick Mystics side who showed few deficiencies. LATEST HEADLINES: Warriors Women black Eels for win Mitch Evans wins first race in Berlin Sharks stun Ram to make NBL final All Blacks rout France with first-half blitz Black Ferns' second-half earns big win Needing to win by six or more to have the opportunity to host the Grand Final in Christchurch, the Tactix fell well short. Snatching the opening turnover from the Tactix first pass, the Mystics didn’t take another backward glance as they powered away, turning on the quality and leading from start to finish while leaving the southerners in their wake. Donnell Wallam,was successful with 57 goals for the home side, one more than the oppositions total Catherine Hall was also to the fore for the Mystics from the get go responsible for five gains at the defensive end where at the other end, Wallam was equally influential under the hoop. Struggling to contain the 1.93m height of Wallam, the Tactix defensive pairing of Karin Burger and Jane Watson came into their own late in the game but it was too late.. The Mystics finished an entertaining and high-scoring first quarter with their noses in front when leading 18-14. In the second quarter, the defensive pressure applied by Tayla Earle, Katie Te Ao, Michaela Sokolich-Beatson and Hall suffocating the Tactix options while forcing panicky play. That provided front-foot ball for the Mystics attackers, with Peta Toeava coming into her own after being well-contained in the first quarter, resulting in the tall figure of Wallam looming large and reigning supreme under the hoop. With the Mystics going on a 12-4 run, the Tactix hand was forced with a tactical timeout called by the visitors and subsequent changes with shooter Martina Salmon and midcourter Parris Petera being injected. Trailing by 12 at one stage, the Tactix responded, taking small steps into the deficit but still had work to do when staring down a 37-29 advantage to the Mystics at the main break. Anchored by their rocks at either end of the court, the Mystics extended their dominance during a withering third stanza. Flush with options, the introduction of Holly Rae at goal defence didn’t nothing to detract from the Mystics mastery across all facets of play. The Tactix had few answers to breaching the home side’s water-tight defensive unit while also being powerless against the rock-solid Wallam and the Australian import’s impact under the hoop. While she missed a few shots, Wallam invariably got the rebound as the Mystics stretched their advantage to double digits. Needing super shots to get back into the contest, the Tactix couldn’t find any reward from double-point range trailing 54-39 at the last turn

The Warriors celebrate a win over the Tigers PHOTO: NRL The NZ Warriors returned to the winning again with a 34-14 win over Wests Tigers at Auckland's Go Media Stadium., but it took a while to get going. The home side had lost back-to-back games against Penrith Panthers and Brisbane Broncos before last week's bye, but bounced back against the Benji Marshall-coached Tigers. Two converted tries in the final 10 minutes put the contest beyond doubt but the start of the game wasn't ideal. LATEST HEADLINES: NZ Black Sox into World Cup final Mystics thrash Tactix to host final Warriors Women black Eels for win Mitch Evans wins first race in Berlin Sharks stun Ram to make NBL final With star halfback Luke Metcalf sidelined for the rest of the season, replacement Tanah Boyd stepped in to run the show in his club debut, while Chanel Harris-Tavita settled into a seamless combination with his new partner. The Warriors lead 16-8 at half-time, with centre Rocco Berry, Harris-Tavita and winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak scoring tries. However it was actually the Tigers who scored first through a simple cath-and-pass along the line to Jeral Skelton. in the second minute. Wing Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was next to score after the break, but Wests closed within 10 points with a try to centre Adam Doueihi. Harris-Tavita had his second to secure the win, and second-rower Leka Halasima bullies his way over to add the icing in the final minute. The Warriors lost Berry to a shoulder injury - the latest in a long line of physical shortcomings for the centre. The result consolidated the Warriors in the NRL top four, six points clear of their nearest chasers. with a visit to 14th-placed Newcastle Knights next Sunday. Warriors 34 Chanel Harris-Tavita 2, (Rocco Berry Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Leka Halasima tries, Tanah Boyd 5 con) Wests Tigers 14 (Adam Doueihi 2 tries, Jeral Skelton tries; Doueihi con). HT: 16-8

Payton Takimoana crosses in the fifth minute of the win over the Eels PHOTO: NRL The NZ Warriors Women have put on a quick turnaround to hold off the Parramatta Eels 14-0 at Auckland's Go Media Stadium for their first win in their return to the NRLW. In their first home game since 2019, the Warriors bounced back from last week's season-opening loss to the champion Sydney Roosters in Sydney. LATEST HEADLINES: Mitch Evans wins first race in Berlin Sharks stun Ram to make NBL final All Blacks rout France with first-half blitz Black Ferns' second-half earns big win Hobbs third behind Olympic champion The Warriors scored inside the first minute through Sevens star Michaela Brake who had to fend off a couple of tacklers to score in the corner. Payton Takimoana then crossed on the other wing just four minutes later as the Warriors enthusiastic start continued. The scored remained 8-0 until the 56th minute as Tysha Ekenasio scored with a Patricia Maliepo conversion. Overall Brake had more than 200 running metres and a couple of line breaks as well as her try , however the Warriors did have a penalty count of 4-0 in the first half against them which coach Ronnie Griffiths will want to sort. The Warriors are away to the Knights next Sunday night.

Mitch Evans after winning race one at Formula E in Berlin PHOTO: FORMULA E New Zealand driver Mitch Evans has won the first of two Formula E races in Berlin as title leader Oliver Rowland failed to finish on a grey and soggy afternoon. Rowland would have been champion with three races to spare had he finished 69 points clear of closest rival Pascal Wehrlein but instead he retired with a damaged car and his lead reduced to 50. LATEST HEADLINES: Sharks stun Ram to make NBL final All Blacks rout France with first-half blitz Black Ferns' second-half earns big win Hobbs third behind Olympic champion Pulse score last-gasp win over WBOP Magic Wehrlein, the defending champion from Germany, finished second with a bonus point for fastest lap at Berlin's Tempelhof Airport circuit and Mahindra's Swiss driver Edoardo Mortara was third for his second successive podium. Rowland can still clinch the title on Sunday if he finishes 59 points clear of Wehrlein, otherwise the chase continues to the final two races in London at the end of the month. The win, from pole position and through two safety car periods, was 31-year-old Evans second of the season and the record-equalling 14th of his career as well as Jaguar's 50th podium in Formula E. The win was also an end to an 11-race streak of no points for Evans driving for Jaguar. Fellow kiwi Nick Cassidy finished in fifth. Overall Cassidy is eighth in the drivers championship and Evans 13th.

The Canterbury Rams' reign as National Basketball League (NBL) champions has ended unceremoniously. After winning back-to-back titles and finishing second in the 2025 regular season, the Rams were dominated by the Southland Sharks 101-82 in the first semifinal at Christchurch's Cowles Stadium on Saturday afternoon. LATEST HEADLINES: All Blacks rout France with first-half blitz Black Ferns' second-half earns big win Hobbs third behind Olympic champion Pulse hold score last-gasp win vs Magic Black Sox stage comeback to beat USA Newly-anointed NBL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Josiah Allick produced a monster double-double, with a team-high 21 points (8/12 FG, 3/4 3pt) and 15 rebounds, along with three assists, in 38 minutes. All five Sharks starters scored in double-digits, with their two other American imports, Caleb Asberry going for 19 points (9/12 FG), four boards and nine assists, and Keylan Boone 18 points (7/19 FG, 4/9 3pt), 10 rebounds and two steals. Tukaha Cooper put up 16 points (6/13 FG, 3/5 3pt) and Sam Timmins 11 points (5/8 FG), five rebounds and three blocks. Off the bench, Alonzo Burton had nine points and Brayden Inger seven points, nine boards and three blocks. NBL MVP Josiah Allick scored a team-high 21 points for the Southland Sharks. PHOTO: NBL The Sharks shot 53 percent both from the field (41-of-76) and three-point range (14-of-26), while the Rams managed just 35 and 30 percent, respectively, under tight defensive pressure from Southland. Australian point guard Sean Mcdonald put up a game-high 23 points (7/20 FG, 5/11 3pt, 4/4 FT) for Canterbury, to go with seven assists, while Max Darling had 15 points (5/8 FG, 3/4 3pt) off the bench. Tall Black Taylor Britt managed 13 points (5/12 FG, 3/4 FT) and six assists, Walter Brown 12 points (5/15 FG, 2/7 3pt) and five boards, and Kaia Isaac eight points, four rebounds and three assists off the bench. But Australian forward Kyle Bowen, who grabbed a season-high eight steals, and Tall Blacks forward Tohi Smith-Milner were held to a combined nine points. The Sharks trailed for a total of 1:24 in the game before taking the lead for good midway through the first period. They stretched out to a 14-point lead after the first, to as many as 20 in the second and 29 in the third. A 12-2 stretch straddling the third-quarter break got the Rams within 19 points but with Southland racking up 50 points in the paint and winning the rebounding battle 53-36, the fourth quarter was largely a procession. The regular season champion Wellington Saints host the Tauranga Whai in the second semifinal at TSB Arena on Sunday (tip-off 3pm). Southland Sharks 101 (Josiah Allick 21, Caleb Asberry 19, Keylan Boone 18, Tukaha Cooper 16, Sam Timmins 11) Canterbury Rams 82 (Sean Mcdonald 23, Max Darling 15, Taylor Britt 13, Walter Brown 12). 1Q: 28-14, HT: 47-34, 3Q: 73-48

A second-half scoring spree has seend the Black Ferns to a 37-12 victory over the Wallaroos in Wellington, the sides final match in New Zealand before the World Cup. Australia have never beaten the Black Ferns in 28 previous attempts and, despite an early brave effort, they were outclassed by the current world champions. LATEST HEADLINES: Hobbs third behind Olympic Champion Pulse hold score ast-gasp win over Magic Black Sox stage comeback to beat USA Ko misses cut, Fox slips at Scottish Open Black Sox advance at Softball World Cup Sevens star Jorja Miller put in a superb game at openside flanker, scoring a stunning individual try as well as forcing turnovers and strong tackling too. The Ferns were up by just 10-7 at the break but five tries in the second half had the score balloon ouot. They struck after just 60 seconds, when Miller put wing Portia Woodman-Wickliffe in space on the right flank for the first of her three tries. Portia Woodman-Wickliffe scores one of three tries in the Black Ferns win over Australia. PHOTO: DAVE LINTOTT PHOTOGRAPHY Australia responded straight away, their lineout maul repelled, before Charlotte Caslick swept to the blindside and crashed though the defence. More than half an hour later, the Ferns finally regained the lead, with Woodman-Wickliffe waltzing over in the corner to take a 10-7 lead at oranges. Things clicked into gear for the Ferns in the second half. Captain Ruahei Demant displayed her power, as she burst through three defenders to find the line. Miller then produced a scorcher, claiming a goal-line dropout, breaking the line, stepping the cover and fending the final tackler in a piece of individual brilliance. They continued to pile on the points, as Woodman-Wickliffe bagged her ha-trick, when she was put one on one with her opposite. After setting things up with a 50-22 kick, centre Sylvia Brunt barged her way over to well and truly seal the result. Replacement Ruby Tui put the icing on the cake, as she tore after an Iritana Hohaia boxkick, easily winning the race to the ball. Black Ferns 37 (Portia Woodman-Wickliffe 3 tries’, Ruahei Demant, Jorja Miller, Sylvia Brunt, Ruby Tui tries; Renee Holmes con) Australia 12 (Charlotte Caslick, Lydia Kavoa tries; Faitala Moleka con ). HT: 10-7..

A stunning first-half display of speed, smarts, and set-piece precision powered the All Blacks to a 43-17 victory over France in Wellington, securing their 50th win against Les Bleus. All Blacks' first-half subterfuge, speed of thought and execution ensured the Dave Gallaher Trophy will be back in New Zealand's care after a 43-17 win over France in the second test at Sky Stadium in Wellington on Saturday night. LATEST HEADLINES: Black Ferns' second-half earns big win Hobbs third behind Olympic champion Pulse hold score last-gasp win vs Magic Black Sox stage comeback to beat USA Ko misses cut; Fox slips at Scottish Open It was just as well they got out as far as 29-3 at the turn as the second half was a more contested affair, and not all of it as clear cut as the All Blacks achieved in the first. Led once again by some outstanding forward play, locks Patrick Tuipulotu and Fabian Holland, with loose forward support headed by skipper Ardie Savea, who became the highest-scoring All Blacks forward with 29 tries, one more than fellow loosie Richie McCaw. Tupou Vaa'i showed how quickly he has adapted to the blindside role, scoring another try while hooker Codie Taylor had another impressive workload. The All Blacks lift the Dave Gallaher Trophy after their second test win over France in Wellington. PHOTO: DAVE LINTOTT PHOTOGRAPHY France got into their action early, testing the All Blacks' defence with a 15-phase assault on their line in the first few minutes. But a knock-on allowed the All Blacks to clear the line and build their attack, assisted by early lineout steals by lock Patrick Tuipulotu, who turned in a powerful display throughout. First-five Beauden Barrett gave them immediate reward with a penalty goal, and when getting back into French territory, the All Blacks used a lineout to flummox the French. A dummy run by No 8 Christian Lio Willie leaving the way open for flanker Ardie Savea at the front to slip a pass to halfback Cam Roigard who ran 22m without challenge to score in the 13th minute. France landed a penalty goal in the 19th minute, but the All Blacks, back in the French half, worked another lineout move, this time with Savea at dummy halfback moving into the maul and powering his way over the line. The two sides ended with a man in the bin each. Firstly, Beauden Barrett was sin-binned after 18 minutes for a deliberate knockdown when French players were unmarked outside. Then, after the Savea try, another All Blacks attack saw second-five Jordie Barrett tip-tackled, resulting in lock Josh Brennan being sin-binned. The All Blacks kicked to touch and launched a regulation lineout drive for hooker Codie Taylor to score. They were just warming up as they showed after 35 minutes when Savea was positioned at centre and broke the attempted tackle of Joris Segonds, and then, when tackled, fed wing Rieko Ioane, who then got a pass away to lock Fabian Holland. And he linked with flanker Tupou Vaa'i, who raced 22m to score. Even when they went the length of the field to look like scoring luck, the French ran out of luck when the TMO pulled them back to the other end for the tip tackle on Jordie Barrett. A 29-3 halftime lead ensured the French came out seeking some redemption, and with five substitutions in the first five minutes, accompanied by some untidy All Blacks play. From that, France used penalty advantages to launch their first concerted attacks of the game at the All Blacks line and it was a well-timed incursion into the backline that produced a 45th minute try to fullback Leo Barre, especially after Jordie Barrett stopped them scoring another by getting under the ball as the French crossed the line to deny them. It was a momentary reward only as the All Blacks took advantage of French indiscipline to work the penalties to get deep into the half with fullback Will Jordan the first to benefit in the 53rd minute, followed by Ioane who crossed in the 62nd minute. Three minutes from the end, Brennan got over from a goalline maul after penalties conceded by the All Blacks allowed the French to get into the 22m area for a lengthy period. All Blacks 43 (Cam Roigard, Ardie Savea, Codie Taylor, Tupou Vaa'i, Will Jordan, Rieko Ioane tries; Beauden Barrett 4 con, pen; Jordie Barrett con) France 17 (Leo Barre, Josh Brennan tries; Nolann Le Garrec con, pen; Antoine Hastoy con). HT: 29-3

Not a great tournament for Lydia Ko missing the cut at the Evian Championship in France PHOTO: GOLF NZ Lydia Ko has missed the cut at the Evian Championship in France after six bogeys in her second round at the tournament she won in 2015.. The 28-year-old carded a three-over 74 to slip to five-over and was two shots below the cut line. LATEST HEADLINES: Black Sox advance at Softball World Cup Ryan Fox in top-10; Ko struggles at major All Whites up to 12-year world ranking high Sharks handle Tuatara, into NBL semifinals Kidwell to join Highlanders coaching setup Five of her six bogeys came in the front nine, in between two of her three birdies at the first, ninth and 15th holes. The world No 3 and three-time Major winner will compete in the Women's British Open July 30 where she is the defending champion as he next tournament. Meanwhile Ryan Fox is tied 27th at the Scottish Open after a second round 70 to put him at fourn-under for the tournament. His par second round started on the 10th hole with six consecutive pars before a bogey on the 17th. In the front nine he hit birdies on the first, fourth and sixth holes, but bogeys on the second and seventh. Fellow New Zealander Daniel Hillier missed the cut at two two-over. The lead is held by American Chris Gotterup at 11-under.

The New Zealand Black Sox have kept their title hopes alive at the WBSC Softball World Cup in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. The Black Sox claimed a dramatic 5-4 walk-off win over the United States on Friday (Saturday NZ Time) after coming back from a 4-1 deficit to claim victory in their opening Super Round clash at Prime Minister's Park. LATEST HEADLINES: Ko misses cut, Fox slips at Scottish Open Black Sox advance at Softball World Cup Ryan Fox in top-10; Ko struggles at major All Whites up to 12-year world ranking high Sharks handle Tuatara, into NBL semifinals The win came from a clutch home run by designated player Jerome Raemaki in the bottom of the seventh inning. With one out and runners on first and second, Raemaki sent a no-doubt shot over the left-field fence to end the game. With the victory, New Zealand evened their record at 1-1, while USA dropped to 0-2. Celebration time for the NZ Black Sox with a win over the USA PHOTO: WBSC New Zealand evened their record at 1-1, while USA dropped to 0-2. The Sox now have a match-up against Japan will determine if New Zealand can sneak into the gold medal showdown or the play-off for bronze. New Zealand are the most decorated team in the history of the championship. They won titles in 1976, 1984, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2013 and 2017. additionally, they have four silver medals and two bronzes for a total of 13 podiums. However, they failed to medal in the last two editions in 2019 (fourth) and 2022 (eighth).

New Zealand sprinter Zoe Hobbs has had her best Diamond League result with a third-place finish among some of the best. . Hobbs had another strong start a the Meeting Herculis, staged in Stade Louis II in Monaco in contention until the reigning Olympic 100m champion, Julian Alfred (Saint Lucia), pulled away. LATEST HEADLINES: Pulse hold score ast-gasp win over Magic Black Sox stage comeback to beat USA Ko misses cut, Fox slips at Scottish Open Black Sox advance at Softball World Cup Ryan Fox in top-10; Ko struggles at major Alfred finished strong at 10.79s with Jacious Sears (USA) in second with 11.02s. Hobbs's time of 11.12 for third may have been a touch off the pace of her recent New Zealand record of 10.94s, but Monaco provided a slight headwind. Hobbs will now be returning to New Zealand shores for a few weeks with her team before returning to Europe in late July. Taranaki sprinter Zoe Hobbs has had her best result at a Diamond League meet PHOTO: ATHLETICS NZ The 27-year-old complete her build up for the 2025 World Athletics Championships on the European circuit, with races still to be confirmed. Meanwhile, Olympic high jump champion, Hamish Kerr, finished sixth in Monaco with a best of 2.23m. Sanghyeok Woo (South Korea), took out first place with an equal world lead performance of 3.34

Close marking between the Pulse and Magic in their final regulation round game in Tauranga PHOTO: MICHAEL BRADLEY PHOTOGRAPHY/NETBALL NZ A tight last game for the Magic but no joy as they finished their season with a 56-54 loss to the Pulse in Tauranga thanks to a last-minute two point shot. With 48 seconds remaining and trailing by one, Pulse captain Kelly Jackson took a vital intercept, helping the visitors to level the scores while also enjoying the next centre pass . The ball went quickly to Amorangi Malesala, the super shot specialist who slotted the alll-important winner with three seconds remaining. LATEST HEADLINES: Black Sox stage comeback to beat USA Ko misses cut, Fox slips at Scottish Open Black Sox advance at Softball World Cup Ryan Fox in top-10; Ko struggles at major All Whites up to 12-year world ranking high With nothing riding on the match for the Magic, playing for pride and to honour Georgia Tong’s last professional match, the home side delivered a memorable second half. Coming into the last 15 minutes with the scores level, the Magic had their noses in front for much of that time as the thrilling contest kept everyone of the edge of their seats but ultimately had the match stolen from them in the dying seconds. The Magic left their best until last in a disappointing season while the Pulse live to fight another day. Respective shooters, Saviour Tui with 38 from 38 and Amelia Walmsley 43/43 were standout performers in a tense and pressure-stacked outing. The opening stanza produced the tightest of contests in a goal-for-goal stand-off. The Magic employing a shorter style of game where they impressed with their ball retention while the Pulse found success when looking for the long-range option on attack. Both sets of shooters returned impressive figures as possession was evenly-matched, the lead changing hands a couple of times before two Ameliaranne Ekenasio super shots gave the home side a 17-15 lead at the end of a high-scoring first quarter. Coinciding with the injection of Whitney Souness, at centre, and Fa’amu Ioane, wing defence, both missing the previous two matches through concussion and illness, respectively, the Pulse clicked up a gear. With Tiana Metuarau, Maddy Gordon and Souness providing seamless service to Walmsley while lifting their efforts on defence, the visitors bustled the Magic into error. Jackson and jack-of-all trades Gabi Simpson, at goal defence, also did a fine job of restricting the Magic’s strong shooting duo. An 8-3 run by the Pulse prompted a tactical timeout for the home side who produced a fleeting response during which Tong produced several of her trademark athletic endeavours in getting hand to ball while Claire O’Brien was a busy contributor in the midcourt. The Magic couldn’t get their two-shot working in this phase, the Pulse picking up the crumbs, building their defensive pressure and nailing their opportunities with Walmsley slotting 31 from 31 for the half to give the visitors a handy 32-27 lead at the main break. The Magic ensured the contest would remain on a knife-edge when delivering a resurgent and thrilling third stanza. Tension levels rose dramatically in the heat of battle as the home side fought every inch of the way. The connection between shooters Tui and Ekenasio provided the sparkle and motivation under the hoop with their movement and accuracy. Defensively, the home side added the squeeze at the Pulse’s attacking end with Erana Mikaere prominent as errors crept in for the visitors. The feeling from both sides was evident, a sell-out home crowd urging the Magic all the way as they hit the lead with five minutes of the quarter remaining. A Malesala two-pointer gave the lead back to the Pulse by a tenuous single goal, a furious goal-for-goal exchange in the closing minutes leaving the game wide open when the scores were locked 43-all at the last turn.