Lay’s effort not enough to halt Magic

An outstanding performance from Michael Lay was not enough for the Printsync South West Slammers to grab their first win of the season, losing to the Mandurah Magic 82-71 at the Eaton Recreation Centre on Saturday night.

Lay scored a game-high 22 points, using his pace and excellent decision making to create plays and keep the Slammers in touch for much of the contest.

An ankle injury to Travis Durnin early in the third term compounded the loss, with the young guard finishing his 50th game in the hands of the trainers.

The Slammers led the Magic by one point at quarter time, but fell away late despite trailing by just four points early in the final term.

Magic import Shaun Stewart was his side’s best, grabbing a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Jamal Shabazz (16 points, 11 rebounds) and Chudier Pal (15 points, 10 rebounds) were also excellent.

Once again it was the Slammers’ poor shooting which let them down, with the team going at just 34 per cent from the field, while Magic shot at 49 per cent.

Slammers import Justin Reynolds had a tough night, scoring just 11 points at 28 per cent from the field and just 30 per cent from the free-throw line.

Demetrius Robinson had a solid game with 14 points, seven rebounds and three assists, while Clive Weeden scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds.

The Slammers will now prepare to take on the Willetton Tigers this Thursday night.