The NUIG Mystics have continued their great start to their women’s nation league division 1 basketball season overcoming the Phoenix Rockets with a score of 82 – 50. This win coming after their first loss of the season against the unbeaten Ulster University in a narrow 77 – 74 loss.
The Mystics dominated from the first whistle only allowing the Rockets 5 points in the opening quarter. This impressive defence along with Phoenix’s inability to rebound the ball led to a comfortable led by the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter was a much more even affair with the rockets finding their shot and were able to cut the lead to only 9 points. Some poor discipline by the Mystics along with a decent display from the rockets at the free throw line kept them in the game.
In the third quarter NUIG Mystics looked like a team on a mission and with some stellar shooting from Hazel Finn, Alison Blaney and Sarah Messler the game as a contest was over midway through the third quarter. The suffocating defence by the Mystics also helped balloon the lead to more than 20 points by the close of the third quarter. The Rockets inability to get any rebounds continued to cause problems for them.
It is not the first time this season we have seen the Mystics play some outstanding defence with them keeping the Marble city Hawks to just 31 points in their opening game this season. If this were a boxing match it would have been stopped long before the end of the fourth quarter as the Mystics showed no signs of relenting and extending the lead to 30 points.
It was a fast-paced game where the Mystics were able to score at will on the fast break again thanks to their excellent defence that was able to dominate in the rebound category and pile up the steals. The Mystics were at a different level and look to be a super league team already.
It was a stellar display from a team that looks destined to return to the Women’s Super league next year if head coach Paul O’Brien can keep up this team’s level of performance. Their next home game will be a national cup quarter final against the Portlaoise Panthers in Claregalway Secondary School at 2 pm on Saturday the 4th of December.
