Perth Redbacks’ State Basketball League women’s team player-coach Narelle Henry produced an inspired third quarter effort to lead her team to a 59 to 49 win over the Mandurah Magic.

In the historic home-game match played in Albany the ninth-placed Redbacks were trailing by 11 points at half time and looked destined to lose to the third-placed Magic.

However in an inspired three-minute burst the 34-year-old veteran Henry produced three steals, one blocked shot and eight points to see the Redbacks trailing by just two points at three-quarter time.

Redbacks’ power-forward Brooke Hiddlestone and centre Marita Payne then took control in the last quarter scoring seven and six-points respectively, guiding the Redbacks to their 10-point win.

A modest Henry refused to accept that it was her personal achievement in the third term that turned the game around and instead credited the win to an improved effort by all the players.

“The key was our committed team defence in the second-half, which is demonstrated by the fact that we limited the tough Magic outfit to just 16-points”, she said.

Payne top-scored for the Redbacks’ women’s team with 16 while Henry had 15 and Hiddlestone nine points.

The Magic’s US import Hailey Dunham was the game-high scorer with 22 while captain Casey Mihovilovich scored 10.

The win sees the Redbacks’ women with a season record of seven wins and 11 losses and in ninth-place in the 12-team competition.

The Redbacks’ men’s team had a comfortable 126 to 86 win over an injury depleted Magic line-up.

Redbacks’ forward Adrian Majstrovich was the game-high scorer with 27 while point-guard Joel Wagner was the next highest scorer with 20.

Centre Daniel Maddox and small-forward Ashley Stephens both scored 16 while Perth Wildcat and Australian Boomers player Jesse Wagstaff scored 13.

Power-forward Tom Remmerswaal top-scored for Magic with 23 while point guard Andrew Bowman scored 13 and former National Basketball League player Aaron Trahair had 10.

The Redbacks’ men now have a season record of 11 wins and 11 losses and sit in eighth place in the 14-team competition.

With only four qualifying games remaining both the Redbacks’ men’s and women’s teams are fighting hard against teams around them for a place in the top eight play-off spots.

This Friday sees the Redbacks playing the Rockingham Flames in an away-fixture at the Mike Barnett Sports Complex with the women’s game starting at 6.30PM and the men’s game at 8.30PM.

This is followed on Saturday night with a home-game fixture against the Perry Lakes Hawks at the Belmont Oasis Leisure and Aquatic Centre, with the women’s game starting at 6PM and the men’s game at 8PM.

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