Story by Jiexin Neo/Red Sports. Photos by Matthew Lau and Rebekah Abbott/Red Sports
The Dolphins WD successfully catches the ball and prepares to pass it on to her team mate. (Photo 1 © Rebekah Abbott/Red Sports)
Toa Payoh Indoor Sports Hall, Saturday, May 24, 2014 — Mission Mannas staged a comeback in the final quarter to beat Blaze Dolphins 53–47 in the Cheers Netball Super League.
Mission Mannas came in second last season, while Blaze Dolphins finished third.
Both teams last met in the semi-final, where Mission Mannas went down 43–48 to Blaze Dolphins. Coming into this game, Mission Mannas held a 5–2 win-loss record and had three draws. On the other hand, Blaze Dolphins registered a 6–3 win-loss record and had one draw.
Both teams appeared to be evenly-matched in the first quarter. Mannas’ Goal Attack made a few crucial shots during the game, while the Goal Shooters from Mannas and Dolphins had high conversion rates in the shooting circle to contribute consistently to the scoreboard. Dolphins held a slight 14–13 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Dolphins started off their second quarter with aggressive attacking, making accurate and quick passes to one another on court to breeze past Mannas’ defence. This allowed them to go on a scoring streak at the start of the quarter, outscoring Mannas 6–1 to lead 20–14. For the rest of the quarter, Dolphins’ Goal Shooter dominated with her shot accuracy to allow her team to take a 10-point lead going into the halftime break (31–21).
Mannas began to chase the points after the break, with their Goal Shooter playing a huge part in that as she contributed to the bulk of the points. Mannas put up a tight defence to try and deny their opponents, but Dolphins’ well-placed passes allowed them to put in points through their Goal Shooter and Goal Attack. Mannas’ diligent defence allowed them to limit Dolphins’ scoring opportunities, as they outscored Dolphins 17–10 in the third quarter to reduce the deficit to three points (38–41).
Dolphins took shots in the decisive final quarter that just did not fall for them. On the other hand, Mannas’ Goal Shooter was actively trying to shake off her defenders to get the ball inside the shooting circle, and converted well when she did. Seven minutes into the quarter, Mannas finally managed to draw even with Dolphins at 43–43 when their Goal Attack made a shot.
Mannas were determined to keep the hard-earned lead as they stepped up further on their defence to deny their opponents. With that, the ball seldom crossed the halfway line to reach Dolphins’ offensive court. Mannas’ Goal Defence also made commendable defensive efforts in the shooting circle, significantly limiting Dolphins’ scoring. Mannas’ resilience in the final quarter allowed them to take home a 53–47 win despite being ten points down in the first half.
Mission Mannas captain, Baizura, said, “To be down by 10, it was quite a difficult feat to come back, but we told ourselves to stay positive and that we are capable to catch up with them even with that score line, because we did it before. That was previously during the round games with Sneakers Stingrays. We were down by 15 and we caught up in that game, and even won by one. So we were kind of confident, that if we calm down, steady down, keep our errors minimal and just execute what we are supposed to do, I think it will show at the court at the end of the day, and it did. And we are really happy for that.”
Scoring by Quarter
Mission Mannas vs Blaze Dolphins
1Q: 13–14
2Q: 8–17 (21–31)
3Q: 17–10 (38–41)
4Q: 15–6 (53–47)
Final score: 53–47
Mission Mannas Roster
Natalie Long, Deborah Alicia Rowe, Charmaine Soh, Zhang Ailin, Suhailah Binte Kariman, Low Yi Lun, Jean Chia, Nurul Baizura, Celeste Lee, Premila Hirubalan, Ang Shi Qi, Chen LiLi, Katherine Macfarlane, Tessa Tan, Joyce Makao Nao, Diana Himeezembi Tjejamba
Blaze Dolphins Roster
Chen Hui Fen, Dana Toh, Danica Toh, Li Ling, Lin Qing Yi, Jacqueline Long, Julynn Mark, Tan Ci Hui, Toh Shao Xuan, Toh Wan Ling, Tong Ai Li, Wee Yi Zhen, Unaisi Raluni
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[…] On which sport they preferred, both exclaimed, “Netball!” Both Jean and Hui Mui just took part in the recently concluded Cheers Netball Super League. Jean is a member of the Mission Mannas, which claimed the championship with a 53–47 victory over the Blaze Dolphins. […]