''The numbers suggest there was not much in it,'' she said.
''But watching the game, we just weren't hungry for the ball, we didn't have good connections on attack or defence and I thought we were pretty reactive, to be honest.''
You cannot lose a game during the opening quarter but you can make it very hard for yourself. The Steel did just that.
The teams had been trading goals but three turnovers in the last five minutes saw the Magic take a very handy 20-13 lead into the first break.
All it took was a breaking call on Gina Crampton and two missed shots from Jhaniele Fowler Reid for the gap to balloon so suddenly. It had been 10-10.
The Steel spent the rest of the game playing catch up and never quite could.
''We came close late in the game but they weren't going to let what happened to them the week before happen again,'' Southby said. The Magic had let a healthy lead against the Mystics slip and had to settle for a draw.
''They have some quality and experienced players who pretty much held them together when we came back at them. But ultimately that couple of minutes [was costly] and it was disappointing to go into the first break seven down.''
Southby has not looked at what the loss will mean for playoff prospects but said the Steel (2 4) was not playing playoff quality netball at this stage. That would be addressed before heading to Melbourne to play the Vixens on Sunday.
''We have to get our game back on track again before we can start worrying about that sort of stuff.''
Magic goal attack Grace Rasmussen directed the proceedings in the middle of the court with a classy display and wing defence Jamie Lee Price was combative.
But goal shoot Jo Harten was arguably the star. At one stage she grabbed a rebound and potted the goal before tumbling out of court. Her haul of 42 goals from 47 attempts was instrumental in keeping her side in front.
Fellow shooter Ellen Halpenny (21/26) was not letting up, either, and their performance was in stark contrast with the Steel's effort in the shooting circle.
It was hard to believe it was the same Steel team which posted an ANZ Championship record 84 goals in its huge win over the Tactix last week.
Shooters Te Paea Selby Rickit and Fowler Reid lacked accuracy, and some of the feeding into the circle was not of an especially high standard.
Fowler Reid has been the most potent shooter in the tournament since joining the Steel in 2013. But she produced a rather tentative display and her return of 42 from 52 was well below what we have come to expect from the towering Jamaican.
With the Magic enjoying a 10 goal buffer at the start of the fourth quarter, Southby rang the changes and the introduction of Katarina Cooper at wing defence and Jane Watson at goalkeeper helped mount some defensive pressure.
Harten and Halpenny had had an easy ride up until that point. The Steel clawed the gap back to four goals at one point but a couple of late turnovers meant there was to be no stunning comeback.
In a repeat of the 2014 final, a potent Queensland Firebirds side took full advantage of a depleted Melbourne Vixens line up to post an untroubled 55-48 win yesterday.
In games yesterday afternoon, the Queensland Firebirds beat the Melbourne Vixens 55-48 and the Adelaide Thunderbirds downed the NSW Swifts 56-49.
ANZ Championship
The scores
Magic 63
Jo Harten 42 from 47, Ellen Halpenny 21/26
Steel 57
Jhaniele Fowler Reid 42/52, Te Paea Selby Rickit 15/20
Quarter scores: 20-13, 34-30, 50-40.
