Top teams win but gap closes

Although the favoured teams prevailed during the latest round of Marlborough premier netball at Stadium 2000 tonight, a couple of closer scorelines suggest the competition is beginning to even out.

In the night’s opening clash the unbeaten Pelorus crew took on a Marlborough Girls’ College side struggling for leverage against the stronger sides.

However, tonight the students began to find their feet, at least in some stages of an open game. Despite going down 62-30, mainly due to a blow-out final quarter, MGC stayed with their favoured opponents for quite some time, an improvement on the 68-20 scoreline the last occasion the sides met.

Pelorus went about their business in their usual workmanlike manner. With Paige Lovell shooting at 84 percent they were able to build steadily, while Izzy Tupouto’a and Ella Smith anchored a solid defence.

Elizabeth Bowron was prominent in midcourt for MGC while Sophia Nicholas added energy to the attack.

In the ensuing Harlequins derby, Totalspan eased to a 58-32 victory over the winless Grove Tavern combination, a vast improvement on the blow-out score of 80-9 when the sides last did battle.

Although Totalspan held sway throughout, leading 33-10 at the halftime break, their stablemates held them to a 25-22 margin in the second spell, a far cry from their previous performance.

The energetic Aleisha Smith, in midcourt, was a standout for Totalspan, while Zara Jopson, who shared the wing attack and centre bibs with Bridget Gane, also stood out.

Player/coach Wiri Bristowe was instrumental in turning Grove Tavern’s fortunes around, directing play astutely and adding much-needed experience.

The Tokomaru v Marlborough Men’s match turned into the closest of the night, the Men winning 57-45.

Although the scoreline got away from the Picton crew in the end, this match proved both entertaining  and very competitive.

The Men held a narrow 28-25 lead at halftime in a match where the ball was moved at pace and sometimes with wild abandon.

Jacob Collins, who featured in both the attacking and defensive circles, had a big night, proving difficult to defend, although the Toko defensive duo of Eden Hika and Teish O’Connell put in sterling efforts.

Toko, who fielded the bare seven players, welcomed back club stalwart Hana Wilson, the versatile middie slotting in at goal shoot for her first appearance of the season.

Scores:

Pelorus Edridge Contracting 62 (Paige Lovell 51/61, Courtney Taufa 7/9, Laura Evans 4/8) Marlborough Girls’ College Liquid Action 30 (Jaye Wiapo 7/15, Anna Hurren 11/16, Sophia Nicholas 12/22). Quarter scores (winning team first): 14-9, 16-7, 17-11, 15-3.

Harlequins Totalspan 58 (Celine Barnes 15/25, Lauren Murray 21/36, Jorja Bacchus 22/25) Harlequins Grove Tavern 32 (Tegan Bayley 2/5, Monja Oberholzer 15/20, Wiri Bristowe 15/19). Quarter scores (winning team first): 16-7, 17-3, 13-10, 12-12.

Marlborough Men 57 (Luke Richardson 17/26, Shiloh Walsh 6/8, Jacob Collins 34/41) Tokomaru 45 (Hana Wilson 15/30, Dakota Tepuia 30/42). Quarter scores (winning team first): 13-11, 15-14, 15-12, 14-8.

Points: Pelorus 15, Harlequins Totalspan 12, Tokomaru 6, MGC 3, Harlequins Grove Tavern 0.