Story by REDintern Lynn Chia. Photos by Rebekah Abbott/Red Sports
Yanyi (SAJC WA) successfully catches the ball, and looks to pass it to her team mate. (Photo 1 © Rebekah Abbott/Red Sports)
Republic Polytechnic, Tuesday, April 22, 2014 — Saint Andrew’s Junior College (SAJC) defeated Pioneer Junior College (PJC) 71–20 to win their first game in the National A Division Netball Championship. SAJC came in fourth in last year’s Championship.
The first quarter saw SAJC going on swift offensive plays, using long passes to their advantage. They led 3–1 a minute into the game. PJC on the other hand lacked in composure and were unable to find ways to pass the ball to their teammates most of the time. As such they made weak passes and this allowed SAJC’s Goal Defender and Wing Attack to make several interceptions, hindering PJC’s attacking plays. SAJC held a strong edge in the game with their effective passing and accurate shooting, going on a strong 18–4 lead by the end of the first quarter.
PJC entered the second and third quarters with better defensive efforts, sticking close to their opponents during plays. However, SAJC were still able to break away from their defenders to get the ball. Their strategic positioning during the game allowed them to extend their lead gradually, pushing for five consecutive turnovers at one point in time. PJC did their best to do more interceptions, but the lack of effective communication between players on the court gave them little ball possession. SAJC held an advantageous 49–17 lead when the third quarter ended.
The last quarter saw PJC fighting back to gain three successive turnovers at one point, but that was not enough to reduce the deficit. SAJC continued to make their shots count, scoring relentlessly to take home a 71–20 win over PJC.
SAJC’s captain, Joie, commented, “I think we gave it a good fight though PJC improved a lot from last season. There is still room for improvement. Our communication needs to be better.”
SAJC’s vice-captain, Fiona, added, “We played well together as a team and implemented what we had learnt but we could have minimized the mistakes made on court.”
Scoring by Quarter
SAJC vs PJC
1Q: 18–4
2Q: 16–5 (34–9)
3Q: 15–8 (49–17)
4Q: 22–3 (71–20)
Final score: 71–20
Saint Andrew’s Junior College Roster
Fiona Robinson, Elsa, Yan Yi, Kian Min, Vanes, Hannah, Joie, Yu Jun, Jeneen, Valerie, Pattay, Samantha
Pioneer Junior College Roster
Hazel, Ee Tong, Jacelyn, Rachel, Hui Qi, Shoshanna, Zi Qi, Isabella, Carolynn, Ya Yu, Shermaine
More photos next page
SAJC GA in the photo should be Yu Jun.
Thanks for the name, Justin. 🙂