Avis Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic staged a dominant second-half comeback to defeat Te Wānanga o Raukawa Pulse 50-39 in Hamilton on Saturday, marking a milestone match for co-captain Erena Mikaere.

Playing her 150th national league game, Mikaere anchored a defensive effort that helped turn the contest after the Pulse led at halftime in front of a vocal home crowd, a match report from Netball NZ said.

The Magic trailed 26-20 at the main break after struggling with attacking errors and conceding possession, allowing the Pulse to build an early advantage.

The visitors held a 14-9 lead at the first quarter and extended it to eight goals in the second quarter through defensive turnovers and strong organisation through midcourt.

However, a tactical shift and increased defensive pressure sparked a turnaround after halftime, the report said.

The Magic outscored the Pulse 30-13 across the second half, forcing repeated errors and disrupting the Pulse’s attacking flow.

Central to the comeback was shooter Saviour Tui, who delivered a highly accurate performance, converting 34 of 36 attempts and adding the only two-pointer of the match at fulltime.

The Magic’s defensive unit, led by Mikaere and supported by Oceane Maihi and Georgie Edgecombe, generated key turnovers which were capitalised on through improved ball movement and shooting accuracy.

After a scrappy start to the third quarter, the match report said the Magic built momentum, narrowing the margin to 35-32 by the final break while restricting the Pulse to just nine goals in the period.

They carried that momentum into the final quarter, taking the lead for the first time and closing out the match as the Pulse struggled to regain cohesion under sustained pressure.

The result provided a strong finish for the Magic, who were out of finals contention but continued their recent form while acknowledging Mikaere’s milestone appearance.