The Mandurah Magic men’s side have cemented their place in the 2013 State Basketball League finals with a 106-84 victory over the Perth Redbacks on Friday night. It was Mandurah’s 14^th win of the season and means the Magic will play finals basketball for the second consecutive year. The win was made even more special for captain Ben Caporn who celebrated his 300^th SBL game.

The Redbacks were always going to be tough opponents as they came into this game in fourth position on the table, but another fast start for the Magic put the game beyond doubt early.

Rhett Della was the catalyst for the fast start for the Magic, as he scored the first eight points of the game without missing a shot. Mandurah opened up with a 36-20 first quarter and didn’t look back from there.

Taylor Land’s defensive effort on former NBL player Bennie Lewis was a big key for the Magic in stopping a potentially potent Redbacks offense. Perth Wildcats developmental player Michael Vigor was also held relatively quiet by Rhett Della, but the most impressive defensive effort of the night was the combined effort of the Magic big men, as they restricted Redbacks giant Justin Brown to only eight points and five rebounds.

The Magic’s offense ran rings around the Redbacks defense as they shot the ball at 64% for the fame. The Magic also had the advantage over the Redbacks in every statistical category, including 18 more rebounds, 20 more assists and three more steals.

Rhett Della was the standout for the Magic, finishing with 30 points at 82% accuracy, along with 19 rebounds and five assists. Taylor Land and Taylor Mullenax each finished with 18 points, while Tom Remmerswaal returned to form with 16 points.

Bennie Lewis and Michael Vigor each finished with 21 points for the Redbacks, who have slipped back to sixth position on the ladder.

Mandurah won’t know their first round opponent until the end of this weekend’s fixture, as it will depend on their game against Kalamunda and the results of other games.

In a disappointing end to their 2013 season, the Mandurah Magic women went down 60-46 to the Perth Redbacks.

After taking an early lead, the Magic ran into foul trouble early in the second half. The Magic also struggled with the height of the Redbacks as 6 foot 6 inch Marita Payne dominated the low post area and provided her team with numerous second chance points.

Payne finished with 15 points and 17 rebounds, while guard Gabby O’Sullivan was the leading scorer with the Redbacks with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Casey Mihovilovich had an early finish to the night after fouling off, but still led her team in scoring with 17 points, while Gemma Thomas finished with 15 points. The Magic finish the season in second last place on the ladder with five wins.

In the final game of the regular season, the Magic travel to Lesmurdie to face the Kalamunda Eastern Suns on Saturday night