A late run by Police X almost ended TT Post's win streak but the latter did just enough to avoid defeat and prevailed with a narrow one-goal (30-29) win after leading by as much as 10 goals early on in their Alternative Division match of the Courts All Sectors Netball League.
Action in the 30th edition of the league continued on Tuesday at the Eastern Regional Indoor Sports Arena in Tacarigua with three matches in the lower division. The other two matches were far less competitive with Metal Industries Company (MIC) Tigers easily topping the University of the Southern Caribbean (USC), 31-6 and Las Lomas defeated the University of the West Indies (UWI), 24-12.
In the opening match of the evening, thanks primarily to the shooting of Crystal Jones with a match-high 25 goals from 29 attempts, unbeaten TT Post held a 12-2 lead at the end of the first quarter and remained ahead at the half, 21-12.
TT Post, with Nadine Wilson-Williams doing well to feed her shooter while adding five off seven, still held sway in the third period but Police started to chip away at the lead and trailed by just four (23-19) heading into the fourth quarter.
The Police unit kept the momentum into the final stanza and managed to outscore its opponent, 10-7 but fell just short of its target. Shooting for the losing side were goal-shooter Terry Ann Roget (5/12) and goal-attack Maya Roberts (13/19) who opened in the circle before Kedisha Grant (10/15) and Eve Francis (1/1), replaced them in the respective positions.
In the second match, Tigers maintained its unbeaten run to claim their fourth consecutive victory. This after leading in each quarter 10-3, 19-4, and 26-4, respectively before going away with a 25-goal win.
In the final affair, goal-attack Aaliyah Paul stepped up with 17 in 23 tries to help Las Lomas bounce back from its first loss of the season against TT Post (35-27) last Thursday.
On Monday, the Jean Pierre Challenge, a knockout competition for teams in the Championship Division, began with Fire eliminating Jabloteh, 35-19.
Earlier in the Retro Division, led by Lavaughn O'Neil (26/36), Las Lomas beat Police, 33-22 and TSTT earned its opening win of the season, defeating Jabloteh, 25-20 with shooting from Denise Rose (15/26) and Debra Alie (10/18).
Today, three matches in the Alternative category will take place with the first match passing off at 5.30 pm. (RACHAEL THOMPSON-KING)
RESULTS
Tuesday
Alternative Division
TT Post 30 (Crystal Jones 25/29, Nadine Wilson-Williams 5/7) vs Police X 29 (Terry Ann Roget 5/12, Maya Roberts 13/19, Kedisha Grant 10/15, Eve Francis 1/1). Quarter scores: 1st 12-2, 2nd. 21-12, 3rd. 23-19 (All in favour of TT Post).
USC 6 (Katrice Hernandez 1/5, Gellana Grant 5/9, Moriah Compton 0/1) vs MIC 31 (Kellie Ann Alexander 8/15, Kylar Rocke 11/14, Tiffany Gonzalez 11/13, Faith Gibbs 1/1). Quarter scores: 1st 10-3, 2nd. 19-4, 3rd. 26-4 (All in favour of MIC).
UWI 12 (Sheniqua Rogers 8/11, Aisha Abdul Hakeem 4/8, Marcellin Roberts 0/3) vs Las Lomas 24 (Kyla Jattan 7/15, Aaliyah Paul 17/23). Quarter scores: 1st 4-3, 2nd. 12-8, 3rd. 18-10 (All in favour of Las Lomas).
Monday
Retro Division
Police Y 22 (Beverly Rogers 19/28, Jenny Chandler 3/3) vs Las Lomas 33 (Lavaughn O'Neil 26/36, Michelle Hutchins 7/16). Quarter scores: 1st. 6-4, 2nd. 15-9, 3rd. 23-18 (All in favour of Las Lomas)
TSTT 25 (Denise Rose 15/26, Debra Alie 10/18) vs Jabloteh 20 (Julia Britto 16/30, Lilia Cameron 4/12). Quarter scores: 1st. 6-3 (Jabloteh), 2nd. 10-9 (Jabloteh), 3rd. 18-15 (TSTT).
Jean Pierre Knockout Challenge (Championship Division)
Jabloteh 19 (Giselle Hobson 1/4, Reeka Seerattan 8/11, Latoya Thomas 10/22) vs Fire 35 (Adasha Norton 28/38, Pearl St John 7/14). Halftime: 15-7 (Fire).
Saturday
Championship Division
X Group
UTC vs Bermudez, 12.30 pm
Police X vs Defence Force, 1.45 pm
Y Group
Open Campus vs Police Y, 3 pm
Premiership Division
Defence Force vs Police Y, 4.15 pm
Fire vs Police X, 5.30 pm