Defender Emily Mannix produced a massive individual performance as her unbeaten Melbourne Vixens pulverised the Giants early on their way to an easy 63-44 Super Netball win at Ken Rosewall Arena.
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The Giants scored just six goals In the first quarter and eight in the second and trailed by 17 at halftime.
In a nightmarish period either side of quarter time, the Vixens piled on 11 straight and outscored the Giants 18-1 to set up a.scarcely believable 26-7 lead.
The Giants were much more competitive in the second half, losing the third quarter by just two and drawing the last.
They racked up 72 penalties and committed 30 turnovers, 12 of them In the first quarter., though the Vixens lost possession 23 times.
The Melbourne outfit improved to 3-0 while the Giants dropped to 0-3.
Mannix proved massively disruptive, accumulating six intercepts, seven deflections and 11 gains.
"We just tried to keep pushing and that probably started the first quarter - really tried to dominate and be intimidating from the get go," Mannix told Fox.
"We probably threw a little bit of ball away. In the end, we probably just could have controlled it a little bit more, but a really good team effort."
Sophie Garbin made 39 of 48 attempts and Kiera Austin 21 of 28.
The shellshocked Giants showed more fight and attacking spark after veteran coach Julie Fitzgerald made a raft of changes midway through the second quarter.
Matisse Letherbarrow scored three straight goals and then made a couple of two-point shots late in the quarter, but the Vixens still had an imposing 30-14 lead at halftime.
Letherbarrow finished with 26 from 34, but veteran shooter Jo Harten had a quiet game, making seven of 12.
"It went wrong in the first quarter, when we could only shoot six goals. Absolutely not good enough from us, especially at home," Harten told Fox.
Giants defender Jodi-Ann Ward was helped off the court three minutes into the final quarrier.after landing awkwardly on her left ankle.
Australian Associated Press
