Southern Steel take 'small wins' from fifth loss
The Southern Steel was beaten 54-49 by the Magic on Saturday night in what was probably the Steel’s best showing from the five games to date in 2023.
The Southern Steel has lost its fifth straight game in the 2023 ANZ Premiership games.
Although the southerners are latching onto the “small wins” from the latest outing against the Waikato-BOP Magic in an attempt to inject some confidence into the camp.
The Steel was beaten 54-49 by the Magic on Saturday night in what was probably the Steel’s best showing from the five games to date in 2023. Before Saturday night at ILT Stadium Southland the Steel had lost its first four games by 17 points or more.
It passed 40 goals for the first time this season and at the end of the third quarter only trailed the Magic 40-38. It won the third quarter 14-12.
“We were much better,” captain Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit told Sky Sport soon after fulltime.
“I think we are at the stage where we need to take these small wins. Obviously, we want to actually win, but getting a bonus point is great, getting our attempts up was our target.
“Our shooters weren’t putting the ball up enough which meant we weren’t getting them enough ball. I’m happy we got over 40 [goals], we just need to get over 50, then 60.”
Selby-Rickit pointed to trying not to overthink things heading into the Magic game.
“We talk and talk and talk, we talk a lot and analyze, but we don’t actually put out on court what we say. So we really want to condense that, so we are not thinking about it so much, so we do what we say.
“It was good to see that out there tonight.”
One of the bright spots for the Steel was again that of Saviour Tui in the shooting circle.
Tui returned from injury and played half a game against the Mainland Tactix on Monday night before getting through three quarters against the Magic.
There is little doubt that Steel is a much better team with Tui on court.
Defender Kate Burley also impressed against the Magic picking off three intercepts.
The Steel’s next assignment is against the Mystics in Dunedin on Saturday night.