The match between the Mpumalanga Sunbirds and the Limpopo Lilies got the day off to a flying start as both teams battled each other until the final whistle this morning at Ellis Park.
The first quarter was tight between the two sides as they persistently tried to destabilise each other’s play while constantly disrupting each other’s attacking momentum and forcing turnovers. Although the Sunbirds’ shooting percentage stood at 92 percent compared to the Lilies' 80 percent, the first quarter ended 13-12 in favour of the Lilies due to their high shooting volume.
The Sunbirds equalized in the opening minutes of the second quarter, and both teams continued to match each other with intensity at either end of the court. The physical nature of the match was evident with held ball calls awarded against both teams, highlighting the pressure being applied defensively.
The teams continued to trade goals before Lilies Goal Shooter Josephine Mamabolo missed under the post, allowing the Sunbirds to edge two goals clear ahead of the super shot. Sunbirds Goal Shooter Atacia Mbuyane sank a two-pointer, but the effort was nullified by the Lilies Goal Attack Kgaugelo Ramafalo, who responded with two successful two-pointers to help her side lead by a narrow 25-23 scoreline at halftime.
Both teams remained consistent in terms of asserting their defensive dominance in the third quarter but were also guilty of committing a couple of errors, resulting in a back-and-forth contest where turnovers were constantly exchanged and conversion rate became a decisive factor.
Mbuyane missed two two-pointer attempts for the Sunbirds and was later punished by Ramafalo, who added two more two-pointers, to give the Lilies a seven-goal lead before the last fifteen minutes.
The Sunbirds worked effectively to turn the ball and succeeded as they closed the gap to just three goals in the opening four minutes of the last quarter. Mamabolo still struggled to find her rhythm on goal, and this allowed the Sunbirds to pull one back.
A strategic stoppage was called by Sunbirds coach Faith Mobeng, and the Mpumalanga outfit responded brilliantly on defense by converting two turnovers and their subsequent centre pass to take a one-goal lead with just five minutes remaining.
The Sunbirds looked unstoppable when Goalkeeper Siphokazi Madonsela came up with a cross-court intercept in the goal third to increase the lead by two goals, but seconds later allowed the Lilies to level matters through an overcooked pass. During the last super shot period, the Lilies were undone by miscommunication in the goal third, giving Mbuyane the platform to sink three singles and hand the Sunbirds a 49-46 victory.
THRILLER DECIDED BY SUPER SHOT PERIOD
Meanwhile, the Diamonds and the Baobabs also produced a cracker of a game that was ultimately decided by the final super shot period. The Diamonds were first to put their foot on the accelerator, but the Baobabs wasted no time growing into the game under scoreboard pressure.
The Baobabs managed to claw their way back and trailed by three goals in the last three minutes of the quarter, which triggered a strategic stoppage from Baobabs coach Emily Mathosa, who told her troops to remain focused and reduce the error rate.
The Baobabs wasted no time following instructions and scored two unanswered goals to move within one goal just before the first super shot period. Diamonds Goal Attack Jana Swart scored a two-pointer, but the Baobabs defense responded well to force a turnover by the transverse line, and Goal Attack Rochelle Maree made it count with her own two-pointer.
Diamonds Goal Defense Keletso Gontho then fought back with a mid-court intercept to ensure Swart slots in the last two-pointer of the quarter as the Diamonds led 17-13 at the end of the first quarter.
The Diamonds set themselves further apart early in the second quarter by dominating the first four minutes defensively, winning turnovers and converting nine goals effortlessly, while the Baobabs only managed two. The Limpopo side struggled to keep up with the fast-paced Diamonds side, particularly on attack, as they bolted down court.
The Baobabs tried to emulate the intensity, but it worked against them as they rushed the ball. With the Diamonds leading by a whopping fifteen goals, the Baobabs still failed to make it count during the super shot period and trailed 36-20 at halftime.
The Baobabs showed greater discipline and took better care of the ball in the third quarter. They went goal for goal with the Diamonds while settling into their own game plan of playing it short and being patient on attack. With both teams going head-to-head for the majority of the quarter, the match looked set to be decided during the super shot period to determine which side would eventually crack under pressure.
Baobabs Goal Attack Maree kept her side in contention with three successful two-pointers, while Diamonds’ Goal Attack Swart responded with two of her own as the Diamonds still held a 48-37 lead ahead of the final quarter. The Baobabs set clear intentions in the fourth quarter when they reduced the margin to six goals. Captain Jessica Matjiu snatched a vital intercept that further cut the gap to four goals.
Two minutes later, Baobabs Goalkeeper Rebecca Mamabolo got a clean two-hand intercept inside the Diamonds' shooting circle as the Limpopo side equalized. The Diamonds converted their centre pass just before the super period, but Maree’s two-pointer and single shot are what caused the upset, as the Baobabs snatched a late dramatic 54-51 victory.
TORNADOS OVERPOWER COMETS
In the other match, the Tornados beat the Comets 55-38. Both teams settled well into the game, but it was the Tornados who forced the first turnover to open a three-goal lead. The Tornados congested the Comets' attacking third with their aerial defense, which increased the Comets’ error rate, while Goal Shooter Bianca Blom was also penalised for contact.
The Tornados continued to apply pressure even after their Goalkeeper, Asemahle Dyidi, had to be subbed off due to an injury, but that didn’t hinder their momentum. Goal Attack Rochelle Rossouw further punished the Comets by converting two super shot two-pointers as the Cape Town-based team led 18-6 at the end of the first quarter.
The Tornados' defensive duo of Goalkeeper Lauren Adendorf and Goal Defense Ziyanda Mzwezo defended well to force the Comets shooters into attempting shots from uncomfortable zones, resulting in missed opportunities. Comets coach Prisca Kanetsi-Makamole made more attacking changes by introducing Kenisha at Centre and moving Lindokuhle Modise from Goal Defense to Goal Shooter, hoping the adjustments would yield positive results.
Defensively, the Comets played their part, but it was on attack where they struggled to deliver the ball safely inside the shooting circle. On the other end, the Tornados' shooting accuracy stood out, courtesy of Liandre Kriel and Marne Visser, giving the side an emphatic 33-13 lead at halftime.
The second half of the match belonged to the Comets, but the Tornados had done enough to make it hard for the Eastern Cape side to stage a comeback. The Comets displayed a promising start to the third quarter, cleaning up on attack while competing defensively to take an early 5-2 lead in the first five minutes.
This surge prompted a strategic stoppage from Tornados' coach Lucy Twani, who implored her side to improve their communication and get back into the game. The Comets shooting accuracy improved, but defensively, Tornados Centre Beulen Lazarus stepped up for her side, securing circle edge intercepts while Wing Defense Anja Liebenberg disrupted the Comets' goal third to ensure the Tornados led by 20 goals ahead of the final quarter.
Despite the Comets remaining competitive in the final 15 minutes and coming out tops during the Super shot period, with Goal Attack Cikizwa Jaku converting a two-pointer and a single shot, the Tornados still managed to seal a 55-38 victory.
Elsewhere in a friendly match, the Zambezi Eagles defeated the Gauteng Jaguars in an entertaining clash that kept the crowd on their feet for the entire sixty minutes. The Jaguars took a 16-12 lead in the first quarter before the Eagles turned things around to claim a 28-26 lead at halftime.
The Jaguars then bounced back with a narrow 41-38 lead at the end of the third quarter, but it was the final quarter where the Zambezi Eagles became ruthless on attack. With both teams separated by just one goal before the last super shot, Zambezi converted three single shots and a two-pointer to hand the Jaguars a 58-54 defeat.
RESULTS:
Sunbirds 49-46 Lilies
Tornados 55-38 Comets
Diamonds 51-54 Baobabs
Zambezi Eagles 58-54 Jaguars