Defending champions C.O. Williams Rangers warmed up for this weekend’s Barbados Netball Association play-offs with a clinical 55-32 dismissal of Guardian General Pride of Villa at the Netball Stadium on Monday night.
Rangers were led by Nikita Piggott, who shot a game-high 27 goals from 35 attempts while playing goal shooter and goal attack alternately.
Veteran Olivia Walcott started at goal attack and sunk 17 of 20 while Shakeena Rock came off of the bench to add 11 goals from 16 attempts.
Villa, who will meet the unbeaten Pine Hill St Barnabas in Saturday’s first match of the play-offs, once again stuttered in mid-court as their shooters Fay Sealy and Nadia Blackman performed in the circle. Sealy scored 21 of 29 and Blackman struck 11 of 18.
However, the mid-court play of Sabreena Smith, Ronda Harris, Kathy-Ann Agard and Tyneisha Rowe, as well as the defence of Janelle Sealy and the tall Rhe-Ann Niles, saw Rangers controlling the ball and advancing from quarterly leads of 12-8 and 25-15.
Rangers are expected to play Spooners Hill in the other play-off game, which has created some uncertainty as to whether those two will meet in the final preliminary match on Friday.
The outcome of that Friday game will not alter the positions or the match-up for the play-offs on Saturday.
A similar situation saw UWI Blackbirds conceding their game against St Barnabas on Monday night, citing exams. The result of that match would not have affected St Barnabas topping the standings or the Blackbirds ending in fifth spot. (KB)
