Nanyang Girls’ come from behind to win West Zone C Division Netball Championshi

Story by Koh Yizhe/Red Sports. Photos by Chan Hui Mui/Red Sports.

Jurong East Sports Hall, Tuesday, March 9, 2010 - Nanyang Girls' High School were crowned West Zone C Division Netball Champions after overcoming a second quarter deficit to edge Nan Hua High School out 27-25.

Nan Hua drew first blood through their tall GS before both teams fell into a state of poor passing. Both teams seemed unable to break down their opponent's defense with way-ward passes being sprayed around in the attacking third. Nan Hua, however, were able to take the edge at the end of the first quarter at 6-5.

Nan Hua went on a 4-0 run to start the second quarter. Beautifully lofty lobs were constantly sent into the waiting arms of Nan Hua's lanky GS, allowing her to score freely and giving her side a 10-5 lead. However, Nanyang wouldn't go away and they slowly reduced the deficit, going on a 6-1 run to level the match at 11-11.

Despite having their advantage halved, Nan Hua still held the slim lead, courtesy of their tall GS, at 14-12 during half-time.

Nanyang came out fighting in the third quarter, quickly levelling the scores at 14-14 before taking the lead as part of a 6-0 run. Their method of quick, short passes proved effective against the rather static Nan Hua defense as the pair of Yeoh Su Fern (GS) and Tiffany Tan (GA) ran circles around their opponents.

Nan Hua, in contrast, failed to send those perfectly weighted passes to their GS and that allowed Nanyang to bring a 22-19 lead into the final quarter.

The match continued to be a close affair with both teams making a final push for the championship in the fourth quarter. However, it was Nanyang with their quick running and nifty short passes that eventually got the better of Nan Hua as they were unable to replicate their success in the first half.

Although Nan Hua pushed their opponents till the end, it was Nanyang that emerged victorious at the final whistle 27-25.

"This was a very close match and we are glad about it," beamed Nanyang’s captain Dan Yuet Ching after the match. "We didn't really expect to win, but we put in a lot of hard work and effort into the game."

When asked about their national ambitions, she said, "We aim to go into the top four and we will do our best to make our school proud."

Methodist Girls’ School finished third after beating River Valley High School 23-20 in the 3rd/4th placing match.

Editor's note: If you recognise yourself or your team mates in any of the photos, please feel free to leave the names behind and we will update accordingly. Thanks!

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