Mystics Men overpower Stars Men in game two

The Mystics Men put on a dominant performance against the Stars Men to win their series with a comprehensive 66-41 win in Auckland on Saturday.

The first team to lift the Te Taonga Manu Taki trophy, the Mystics won the first match by just one goal, 49-48, and now lead the series 2-0, with one game left to play.

It was the trialled innovation of the two-point shot that gave the Mystics an early advantage, one which they continued to utilise and push throughout the match.

The moving combination of Thomson Matuku and Elliot Clark in the Mystics goal circle was hard to stop, with the Stars defenders heavily penalised. Both men were confident from the two-point range and were also able to gather rebounds.

Clark was a standout at goal attack, sinking two-point shots, and showing his passion and flair, earning match MVP.

Both teams had high accuracy with the traditional one-point shot, the Stars feeders able to find goal shoot Maru Delamere under the hoop.

The Stars used their 60-second tactical time out in the second quarter to try and stop the Mystics’ momentum. But despite the time to refresh, they still struggled to contain the Mystics’ flow on attack.

At half-time, the Mystics held a 32-21 lead, thanks to their nine two-point shots. Both teams were shooting at 100% in the one-point range but the Stars couldn’t manage to sink their attempts from the two-point range.

The Mystics were free to make multiple changes in the final quarter, with a comfortable 17-goal lead. Stars defender Timmy Apisai was able to pick up more ball on defence with his long arms, but the Stars attack continued to struggle to find the net.

The Stars have the opportunity to bounce back with the final match in the series next Sunday.