The match of the day saw Stings take on Jaguars in the final clash of the day. It was Stings who took the game 53-51, handing Jaguars their first defeat of the season.
Both teams were evenly matched, however, it was Stings that scraped through with an extra point, finishing the quarter 13-12. Jaguars were not about to sit back and allow Stings to run berserk, and they found their way back into the game.
Coach Rozanne Matthyse made a tactical change in the second quarter, moving Phophi Nematangari from Centre position to Wing Defence, while moving captain Tshina Mdau to Wing Attack. This change seemed to have yielded instant results as Nematangari intercepted a lot of Stings' attacks.
The last two minutes of the game proved to be worthwhile for Jaguars, as they clawed their way back into the match even though they trailed 27-29 at halftime.
The third quarter was no different, as both teams kept going at each other, with Stings head coach Freda Kemp rotating her team throughout the quarter, and this paid dividends as they finished the quarter 49-43. It was in the final quarter where things got super-heated. The last two minutes of the game were nail-biting as Jaguars missed three two-pointer chances, which put Stings at an advantage.
SUNBIRDS FALL TO TORNADOS
The start of the afternoon at the Durban University of Technology saw Mpumalanga Sunbirds take on their fierce rivals, Western Cape Tornados. One wouldn’t be mistaken to easily classify it as the match of the group, considering how heated the clash always is between these two.
Both teams were locked neck and neck for a solid thirteen minutes. However, it was Tornados who pulled away in the last two minutes, taking advantage and making the most of the Supershot. It was Tornados that went into the first quarter break leading 13-9.
The Western Cape outfit started the second quarter the same way they ended the first one, with intensity and dominance. Sunbirds were not clinical, and this allowed Tornados to capitalise on those errors and cement their lead. Tornados were leading 26-21 going into halftime.
Tornados peeled away in the championship quarter – despite the changes that coach Faith Mobeng made, Sunbirds were struggling to get back into the game. Tornados used their Supershots chances wisely and clinched the match 58-42.
FLAMES BURN BRIGHTER THAN ALOES
Eastern Cape Aloes clashed with North West outfit Flames in a mouth-watering encounter. Both teams needed to get maximum points from this match, as neither one of them had won their opening match.
North West Flames seemed to be the hungrier of the two as they dominated the better part of the match until Aloes staged a comeback in the game, albeit late. Both coaches were facing each other for the eighth time and it was coach Adine Adriaanse who came out on top, recording her sixth win against Zandile Njeza’s two. Flames won 53-47.
Kingdom Queens, who have been one of the fan favourites, faced North West Tshukudu in a Division 2 clash. Queens came into this match very high in confidence as they are yet to lose a match after two games, while Tshukudu have recorded one win and one loss in as many games. Both teams were evenly matched in the opening quarter before Queens hopped onto a getaway train and won 47-35.