Cup hopefuls Spooners Hill found out that playing netball and, more important, shooting, may be hereditary.
That was when two second-generation netballers, Shanise Banfield and Briana Holder, combined for 43 goals as Pine Hill St Barnabas scored a come-from-behind 44-32 win over the Firebirds when the Barbados Netball Association’s Division 1 League continued on Monday night at the Netball Stadium.
Banfield, the daughter of former Barbados standout southpaw Sonia Banfield, sank a game-high 29 goals from 39 attempts, while 16-year-old Foundation student Holder, the daughter of former ace shooter Margaret Cutting, added 14 from 22.
Ankle
Ironically, Holder, who usually plays Division 2, was only brought into the game when Zakiya Kirton twisted her ankle with her team trailing 4-9.
She and Banfield used their bodies well to hold off defenders Tricia Gill and Shondelle Sandiford and secure shooting opportunities. Their efforts helped turn a deficit of eight goals into a surplus of ten.
Firebirds had started the game with a blaze which suggested that they would rack up their fourth successive win.
The experienced Lydia Bishop used power and guile to break the double team of Shonte Seale and Sade Browne, sometimes dragging the defence out of position to allow Kerry-Ann Brathwaite to sink a perfect eight for Firebirds. Smart feeding of the circle by Joyanne Cooke and Shannya Wiggins helped Firebirds to a 14-6 lead by the end of the first quarter.
A sudden shower in the second quarter seemed to cool the Firebirds. Browne and Seale began to stifle Bishop, and Brathwaite ran cold as teammates made errant passes, enabling St Barnabas to lock the scores 19-19 at half-time.
Frustration
Firebirds surrendered the lead for the first time at 19-20, and lost any flicker of hope when, at 23-30, Bishop’s frustration boiled over when a pass intended to her went awry. She ripped off her bib and stormed off the court, to be replaced by Deborah Kellman. The new shooter scored five spectacular long shots from seven attempts but could not save her team.
St Barnabas, the last team to win a Division 1 title other than UWI, look likely to end in a three-team tie with Firebirds and Guardian Group Villa. That would lead to a play-off for the crown. (KB)
See all the results in the Midweek Nation.
