The Magic fell asleep late in the first quarter and for the second to trail Wagga Heat 40-19 at halftime.

A second half comeback wasn’t good enough for them to steal the points and Moss Vale lost 66-40.

Magic coach Kevin Campbell said it was one the worst performances he had seen in his time at the helm.

“It was the most inept game for the three or four years I have been involved with the team,” Campbell said after the loss.

“It looked like we never wanted to win until the second half and by then it was too late.”

Campbell said his team may have failed to respect the opposition, with Wagga sitting below the Magic on the Southern Basketball League ladder.

But the teams are now side-by-side and fighting to save their respective seasons.

The Magic and Heat went basket-for-basket in the opening quarter with the scores locked at 8-8 when the quarter turned in Wagga’s favour.

Campbell went to make an early substitution, bringing Adam Garello into the game for Clint Bentley.

But one of the court umpires ruled Garello could not take the court with the variety of leg-guards he usually wears.

So Campbell was forced to rush youngster Dayne Hutchinson into the game and Garello was forced to shed a few layers of strapping.

Moss Vale trailed 17-10 at the first break and a shocking second quarter had them 21-points in arrears at halftime.

The teams squared the third quarter which meant the margin was still 21-points and the Magic needed some quick baskets.

Moss Vale played towards big man Norm Taylor in the final period, but it was too little too late.

Magic guard Rickie Martin top scored with 19 points, while Taylor hit 16 and Jason Bentley got 13. Martin was named the Moss Vale Motor Group MVP.

Garello was the only other Magic player to get on the scoresheet, with two points.

Moss Vale’s next match is against Queanbeyan in a fortnight, but they don’t play at home again for six weeks.