The Gauteng Jaguars' big-match temperament came to the fore in a hard-fought 42-35 victory over the Kingdom Stars as the Telkom Netball League continued at Ellis Park Arena in Johannesburg on Friday.
The game got off to an exciting start, with both teams showcasing their pedigree. The majority of the first quarter was an intercept contest as both sides remained disciplined, ensuring the error rate was kept at a minimum, ending the first 15 minutes level at eleven-all.
Stars goal shooter Nomfundo Mngomezulu thrived from close range, converting crucial turnovers that handed the KZN side a three-goal lead within 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 halftime.
The see-saw affair continued in the third quarter, with the Stars benefitting from a clever intercept from goal defence 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. The Stars reduced the gap to just one goal, but that didn’t stop the Jaguars from showcasing their prowess in the last quarter. This resulted in the Kingdom Stars’ 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 for 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 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.’’
FIREBALLS OVERCOME EAGLES
Meanwhile, the Golden Fireballs were made to work hard for their victory over the 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 halftime. 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 twelve players out there,’’ Fireballs coach Elsje Jordaan stated after the match.
In another Division One match, 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 on Saturday 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 defence 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.
TELKOM NETBALL LEAGUE 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
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