But perhaps the results were more indicators of how even this year’s Dunedin women’s club basketball league is.
Fourth-placed Andy Bay Falcons beat top-of-the-table South Pac Magic 66-58, while third-placed Varsity thrashed Ajax, who are tied at the top with the Magic, 75-43.
While team strength can vary depending on availability, it demonstrated there are no easy games in this competition.
The Magic were without key pieces for a second week in a row, notably leading scorer Tia Pavihi, and dropped their second game in as many weeks, after a four-game winning streak.
However, the Falcons were also without ace guard Alexa Duff and they adapted better.
Aria Brown led with 27 points, and proved the key figure in burying the Magic in a brutal run late in the third quarter.
The Falcons led 37-36 four minutes before the final break, when Brown caught on the wing and drained a triple.
Magic forward Sereana Rokotakala (22 points) banked in a jump shot from the high post in response.
Brown came down and hit another three-pointer, before three stops in a row led to three transition baskets to take the Falcons out to a 49-38 lead.
That margin became 16 early in the fourth quarter when Brittney Young (12 points) hit her fourth three-pointer of the night to make it 56-42.
Magic guard Kylie Maihi followed a transition layup with a quick pair of three-pointers to make it 60-54, but it was too much for the Magic to overhaul.
Yet up until that third-quarter run, little separated the teams.
The Falcons led 16-14 at end of a very end-to-end first quarter, in which Young hit three triples.
They pulled out to 26-19 midway through the second quarter, but Rokotakala did damage from the high post to pull the Magic back to one.
The Falcons led 31-27 at halftime, before Dayna Turnbull (15 points) hit a three-pointer and then found a cutting Tessa Walsh (six points) to make it 32-32 early in the third quarter. South Pac never took the lead back, though.
The win was the Falcons’ second, snapping a four-game losing streak, although they have a game in hand against Ajax.
In the other game, Varsity continued their resurgence, claiming their third win by toppling Ajax — who are tied with the Magic on four wins.
Eva Tonascia led Varsity with 21 points, while Abby Harris added 15, as the students dominated from the beginning.
