POWERHOUSE: St Barnabas' Irecka Louis claiming possession of the ball while Rangers' Linda Harris (left) and Nikita Piggott look on.

by Clifton Henry

IT WAS quite a thriller.

One of the biggest crowds for the season turned up at the Netball Stadium, Waterford, St Michael, on Friday night to watch Pinehill St Barnabas produce a much improved performance to defeat C. O. Williams Rangers 49-43 in a highly charged atmosphere.

Fresh from their
recent 40-47 lost to the Raiders, St Barnabas' management would
have been looking
for a more aggressive approach from each member if they were
to overcome the expected rampage from
the Raiders.

Confident

The Rangers came into the game brimming with confidence after their 42-26 drubbing of Banks Spurs only a few nights before, but walked off the court with dejection etched on their faces at the final whistle.

The game was easily one of the more exciting Division 1 match-ups for the season as each team kept a close rein on the other during the first half of the game. The first quarter ended with a 12-11 advantage to Pinehill, but this was reversed in the second quarter with a two-goal advantage to the Rangers, 24-22.

However, down by two goals in the second half and mindful of the complacency that caused them to lose their last game, St Barnabas immediately stepped on the accelerator and blew past the Rangers to leave them tottering at 29-42 at the sound of the whistle.

No answer

The rangers simply had no answer to the withering offence and defence of the Pinehill women, mustering five goals in comparison to the 16 scored by St Barnabas.

The Rangers, never a team to give up without a struggle, started the final quarter like a team possessed as they gradually erased much of the deficit. However, the St Barnabas girls were equal to the task and scored when it mattered to keep their opponents at bay until the final whistle.

For St Barnabas, goal-shoot Denise Alleyne had 37 goals from 43 attempts, and was ably supported by Marvalene Neblett with 12 from 14. For Rangers, Linda Harris scored 18 of 21 tries, Nikita Piggott netted 21 goals from 27 attempts and Olivia Walcott had four from seven tries.

Scores in the other matches:

* Sinckler Intermediate Division 4: B'dos Lumber Company UAC 29 (Jessica Bancroft 16/26, Kathy Ann Jones 13/15) Pinehill St Barnabas 32 (Sonia Banfield 26/36, Julie Phillips 6/9).

* Paul Intermediate Division 5: Banks Spurs 46 (Alicia Payne 33/38, Shanise Jarvis 13/19) Sion Hill Spartans 27 (Nikita Cyrus 25/51, Rhonda Norville 2/3).

* Sinckler Intermediate Division 4: Brydens V8 Splash 29 (Adonna Griffith 18/27, Deborah Brathwaite 11/14) Banks Spurs 22 (Sherice Walcott 15/23, Kelly Ann Knight 7/14)

* Mayers Intermediate Division 6: Unity Stars 24 (Gillian Broomes 6/16, Nikita Wiltshire 18/29) C. O. Williams Rangers 15 (Nikita President 5/6, Brandy Grosvenor 9/20, Donesha Thomas 1/1)