Adrian Seconi

The Magic dealt the Steel a 56-47 defeat and gave the Otago-Southland combined team plenty to think about going into its bye week.

It wasn't the whisky , gin or three or four six-packs, but it might have been the wine.

In what could be considered netball's version of television reality show Survivor, evergreen midcourters Amigene Metcalfe, Jenny-May Coffin and Julie Seymour have been trying to outwit, outplay and outlast each other for more than a decade.

Basketball Otago might be slightly in the red but it is delivering fillet mignon on a mince-on-toast budget, chief executive Mark Rogers says.

A dejected-looking Jenny-May Coffin hobbled into the press conference, her body looking every bit as wounded as her pride.

A muted crowd of close to 3000 gave some polite applause before filing out of Stadium Southland with long faces after the Northern Mystics came back from eight goals down to snatch a 50-48 victory in Invercargill last night.

Southern Steel coach Robyn Broughton has joined the chorus calling for a double round to be introduced to the ANZ Championship in the interest of fairness.

Nelson Giants 96 Otago Nuggets 80 The Otago Nuggets have only an outside mathematical chance of making the play-offs after notching up their 11th loss this season

Tall Ferns guard Suzie Bates is one step closer to securing her Olympic dream after helping the national side secure a historic victory over Australia at the Beijing Good Luck tournament last week.