A game-high 38 goals by shooter Faye Sealy of Guardian General Pride of Villa almost spoilt C.O. Williams Rangers’ opening defence of their Barbados Netball Association’s Division One league title at the Netball Stadium on Monday night.
Sealy, who alternates between shooter and defence, scored 38 from 43 only to see her team lose the plot in the final quarter after holding the upper hand at the end of the third.
Rangers, who suffered an upset in their first game of the 2014 season by losing their knockout battle to UWI Blackbirds, won 43-39.
However, with Rangers’ coach Sandra Bruce-Small having to use her entire bench in a bid to stop Villa, the fans enjoyed a thrilling battle which went against all expectations as Villa had applied but were denied the right to drop from Division One for 2014.
Vanessa Reid-Cox led Rangers at shooter scoring 16 of 23 while goal attack Nikita Piggott came off the bench to replace Shakeena Rock, hitting 14 of 20. Up to that point, Rock had made 13 of 19.
Barbados captain Latonia Blackman opted to play her stronger defensive role, which allowed six-footer Sealy to win many exciting duels against the normally intimidating leaper Rhe-Ann Niles in the Rangers’ circle. Against the norm, Niles was moved to goal defence in the fourth quarter, with Natasha Birkett-Sealy taking the goalkeeper’s bib.
Kelly-Ann Knight of Villa had scored one of four attempts as goal attack for Villa, who seemed on point for the upset with quarter scores of 11-10, 19-20 and 33-26 before they threw away that seven-goal advantage as well as the match.
Tonight’s division one match could be another teaser, with knockout queens Pine Hill St Barnabas opposing the challenging UWI Blackbirds at seven.
Other Results:
Division IV
Rapid Response defeated Phoenix Protection 28-26
Lumber Company UAC and Bathsheba battled to a 25-25 draw
Division V
Rangers defeated Structural Systems Silver Raiders 28-21
Unity Stars defeated Church Village 23-21
UWI Blackbirds defeated BRC Welch Rovers 25-19. (KB)
