Champions C.O. Williams Rangers held off UWI Blackbirds by one goal to maintain their lead of netball’s Division One on Friday night at the Netball Stadium.
Rangers took the game 41-40 thanks to their greater experience in the end game, as the Blackbirds failed to convert, having taken three more shots than Rangers’ 51.
UWI’s goal shoot Shonica Wharton led all scorers with 28 conversions from 36 shots.
Kittitian Mechelle Liburd, who came off of the bench to replace Barbados Under-21 captain Rieah Holder at goal attack from the third quarter, sank six of eight after Holder had scored six of 10.
In addition, the Blackbirds should have soared against a Rangers’ team that played with some handicaps. Starting mid court player Tyneisha Rowe sat out the game with an injury suffered at the Inter Church Games last week, and goal shooter Vanessa Reid-Cox went down and out in the first quarter after a flawless four from four.
The pint-sized Shakeena Rock replaced Reid-Cox and scored 11 goals from 15 shots, which shored up a consistent performance from Nakita Piggott who scored 26 from 32.
The play of the imposing Rhe-Ann Niles at goal keeper along with the mid court efforts of player of the game Janelle Sealy, former junior player Adrianne Bynoe, Kathy-Ann Agard and the flashy Sabreena Smith kept the Blackbirds at bay at the critical stages.
The Blackbirds were always in contention with quarters’ scores of 8-10, 21-19 and 31-30. Two minutes before the final whistle the Blackbirds were down by one goal and held possession. But losing the ball and allowing Rangers to score damned UWI’s hopes of repeating their knockout victory over the league queens.
Robust play from alternating goal keeper and goal defender Shanice Wharton and Shanice Rock of UWI forced Rangers’ Piggott and Shakeena Rock to call on their greater skills and experience since they could not match the Blackbirds for height, power or aggression.
Similarly, the tough Alicia Harding who came off of the bench in the fourth quarter for UWI, along with the speedy Damisha Croney, battled valiantly to thwart Rangers’ Sealy, Bynoe and Smith to little avail in the mid court.
Results
Division 4
Pine & Wildey defeated Bico Delight 28-23.
Division 6
Guardian General Pride of Villa defeated BDF Solja Girlz 29-11.
Vauxhall defeated Bagatelle 30-16
Newbury All Stars defeated Almond Lions 18-14.
