Jaguars shine against Stars while Sonoblomo get revenge on Diamonds

The Gauteng Jaguars' big match temperament came to the fore in a hard-fought 42-35 victory over the Kingdom Stars. The game got off to a voracious start, with both teams showcasing their pedigree on day one of Telkom Netball League Power Week 2 at Ellis Park. The majority of the first quarter was an intercept contest as both sides remained disciplined, ensuring the error rate is kept at a minimal, ending the first 15 level at 11-11.

Stars’ Goal Shooter Nomfundo Mngomezulu thrived from close range, converting crucial turnovers that handed the KZN side a three-goal lead in the opening five minutes of the second quarter. This prompted the Jaguars to reshuffle their shooting circle, moving Luane Smith to Goal Attack while introducing Jamie Williamson on Goal Shooter in a bid to match the Stars’ shooting accuracy. The Durban outfit set up a stubborn defensive line but the Jaguars managed to break through and edge ahead by a single goal at half-time.

The see-sawing affair continued in the third quarter, with the Stars benefitting from a clever intercept from Goal Defense Thulisile Maduna, which Mngomezulu converted effortlessly to level matters. However, the Gauteng team appeared to have more attacking weapons at their disposal and delivered an industrious defensive performance in the latter stages of the third quarter to stretch their lead to four goals.

A strategic stoppage called by Stars’ coach Nompumelelo Msomi seemed to have fired up her side after lamenting how hesitant they were with their passes. Stars reduced the gap to one goal but that didn’t stop the Jaguars from showcasing their prowess in the last quarter. This resulted in Kingdom Stars’ lethal defensive trio of Thulisile Maduna, Luyanda Msomi and Nozipho Ntshangase dropping in momentum as they struggled to keep up with a fast-paced Jaguars shooting circle.

Zane Bodenstein became a constant thorn in the side of the Stars, who had little time to play catch up and denied them a two pointer on three consecutive attempts during the last Telkom Super Shot. To cap off an outstanding display, Luca Keun sealed the win with a superb two-pointer to hand the Jaguars maximum points and earn herself the Player of the Match accolade.

Jaguars coach Rozanne Matthyse expressed her satisfaction with the result afterwards.

‘’It was a better start for us, we still lose it in the middle of every quarter but that’s something we’ll need to look at. The positive from this game is just the fight, they never back down and allow the other team to just take control of the game and the fact that we improved in every single quarter.’’

Meanwhile, The Golden Fireballs were made to work hard for their victory over Zambezi Eagles in a physical contest. The Fireballs led by one goal at the end of the first quarter and were only four goals up at half-time. Despite relentless pressure from the Zimbabwean team throughout the encounter, the Fireballs maintained control heading into the final quarter with a 41-36 lead before eventually securing a 56-47 win.

‘’We worked really hard in the last three weeks, we know we weren’t good enough in Power Week one although it was tough, it was the best thing for us as a team. It pulled us together and reminded us how deep and how hard we must grind. We worked hard and today was great to start off like this and to have all 12 players out there,’’ Fireballs coach Dr Elsje Jordaan stated after the match.

In another Division one match game, the Southern Stings defeated the Eastern Cape Aloes 77-49. This was the Aloes’ sixth defeat in the campaign, having only won one game so far. The Stings have an opportunity to rest tomorrow ahead of Sunday’s fixture against the Flames, who have proven to be a threat after beating the defending champions in the first Power Week.

Elsewhere, Sonoblomo exacted revenge on the Diamonds with a hard fought 53-37 triumph after previously suffering a four-goal defeat to the same opponents earlier in the tournament. Despite the loss, Diamonds Goal Defense Keletso Gontho once again demonstrated her consistency, producing three intercepts to help her side remain competitive. However, Sonoblomo Goal Shooter Zeluleko Ntombela was unstoppable under the post with remarkable accuracy and was named the Player of the Match.

RESULTS

Baobabs 48-48 Sunbirds

Queens 51-45 Lilies

Tornados 49-42 Tshukudu

Sonoblomo 53-37 Diamonds

Jaguars 42-35 Stars

Fireballs 56-47 Zimbabwe

Stings 77-49 Aloes