Challenge wins to Girls’ High, Horouta Koura

Gisborne Girls’ High Senior A shooter Kassie Owen lines up an attempt. Owen and her Premier team made a strong start to the senior netball Challenge round with a big win over YMP (2) at the YMCA on Wednesday. File picture by Paul Rickard

by Sherrill Beale

Premier sides Gisborne Girls’ High Senior A and Horouta Koura hit the court running with emphatic wins in the first of the Challenge round games on Wednesday night.

Girls’ High outgunned YMP (2) 59-22 and Horouta eased past Farmlands Ngatapa 53-34 in the YMCA.

The games were the first of the Challenge round which involves the top two teams from each grade — bar Premier Grade — from Round 1 of Pak’nSave senior netball taking on the bottom two teams from the grade above.

YMP and Ngatapa topped Premier Reserve, which put them into the Challenge round against bottom-two Premier side Girls’ High and Horouta.

The Girls’ High-YMP game was competitive in the first quarter as both teams moved the ball well through the court.

Girls’ High led 12-7 at the first-quarter break. Both teams made changes  but it was the students who adjusted better, showing confidence and speed in their play as they pulled away to lead 25-14 at halftime.

They worked together on attack and defence, running on to the ball to create good flow, and backing each other for any tips or loose ball.

Goal-keep Joaquina Kaa, goal defence Piper Donaldson, wing defence Hine Cotter-Luke and centre Te Arai Waihape-Matthews formed a brick wall in defence to restrict YMP’s midcourt from getting ball into their shooters.

At the other end of the court, shooters Jamie Rika and Kassie Owen worked the circle well to give their feeders options, and finished off with plenty of goals.

As a consequence, Girls’ High scored 20 goals in the third quarter and another 14 in the final quarter while YMP could only muster three and five.

YMP 2 had some good passages but were always contending with the students’ relentless pressure.

Horouta took the lead from the start against Ngatapa to be 6-2 ahead within a few minutes. Their attack flowed nicely, moving at speed to deliver quality ball to shooters Lexi Rutene.

They led 13-8 at the first break and 25-15 at halftime.

But while they built on their lead over each quarter, Ngatapa made them work for it. They defended with enthusiasm to try to slow down Horouta’s zippy play, earning a good number of tips and creating turnovers.

Horouta only won the third quarter by  two goals (15-13) but were always in control and surged in the last quarter, which they won 13-6, for a solid victory.

All four sides are back in action at the Victoria Domain courts tomorrow. Horouta Koura face YMP (2) at 9.45am and Girls’ High play Ngatapa at 11.45am.

The other senior teams involved in Challenge games have two games each.

At the end of the day, the Gisborne Netball Centre board will meet to discuss the results and decide on any changes that need to be made to the grades.

Years 5 and 6, intermediate and secondary netball continues tomorrow.

The courts are in action from 8.45am to 3.30pm.