Superb play from Barbados six-footers Laurel Browne, in attack, and Shonette Bruce, in defence, led champions Pine Hill St Barnabas to a blow out of Guardian General Pride of Villa 49-31 when the senior knockout continued at the Netball Stadium on Friday night.
While Browne was brutal in sinking 28 goals from 32 attempts at goal shoot the imposing Bruce was intimidating at the other end where not even a frightful fall onto the court in the final quarter slowed the goal keeper.Â
Sheniqua Thomas scored 11 of 20 at goal attack for St Barnabas before she was replaced in the third quarter by the returning Shekira Boxill who added to Villa’s plight scoring eight of nine shots.
Abeje Carrington gave Browne a rest in the final quarter to score two of four at goal shoot.
Villa had made an unsuccessful request to drop from division one for 2014 and with just a starting seven for Friday night’s knockout clash they looked unprepared for the St Barnabas onslaught.Â
National captain Latonia Blackman started as goal keeper while using six footer Faye Sealy as goal shoot.
The height and experience factors of St Barnabas saw Villa abandoning that plan as Sealy made just two of five shots and the shorter Kelly-Ann Knight was kept under pressure scoring just 12 of 22 at goal attack.
Blackman’s move to goal attack from the second quarter improved Villa’s fortune somewhat as she sank 17 of 24. However, St Barnabas’ runaway pace in building leads of 13-5, 27-10 and 40-17 hinted that Villa’s only goal was to avoid a bigger margin of defeat.
St Barnabas will most likely meet UWI Blackbirds in next Wednesday’s semi-finals since the Blackbirds were due to play Unity Stars last night.Â
The winner of the Blackbirds vs St Barnabas match-up will then meet a lower division team in the finals.
