GGHS show spirit against Waikohu

Waikohu goal defence Humaria Higgins grabs the ball before Gisborne Girls’ High School goal attack Judaea Keelan-Phillips can reach it in premier grade netball at the YMCA on Saturday. Waikohu won the game 68-51. Picture by Paul Rickard

Waikohu were too strong for Gisborne Girls' High Senior A in their premier grade netball clash at the YMCA on Saturday morning, but the students went down fighting.

Claydens Waikohu (1) beat them 68-51.

They led Gillies Electrical Girls' High 17-11 after 15 minutes, 35-23 at halftime and 55-37, but the students won the final quarter by a goal.

Waikohu gave a fine display of a team using their links throughout the court, on attack and defence, and were too strong for the students.

All the Waikohu players were running on to passes and moving the ball speedily through the court in to their shooters.

On defence, Waikohu players worked together to isolate the students' ball carrier, creating turnovers and then quickly capitalising on the errors.

They increased the margin in all the quarters except the last.

Girls' High started the last quarter with intensity and scored the first three goals to bring the deficit back to 15.

A couple of minutes later the students had an especially good passage of play and scored seven unanswered goals to bring the deficit down to 11.

Their supporters lifted their excitement and there was a feeling they would take it further.

However, Waikohu regained control and surged back with their own run of goals to finish with a good 17-goal win.

“It took the girls a while to settle down but once they got going they played like themselves, not like the team who played YMP midweek,” Waikohu co-coach Cheryl Te Rito said.

“We didn't have our flow going against YMP, but it was there against Girls' High.

“To Girls' High's credit, they kept coming at us, which was really good to see.”

Girls' High manager Lisa Panapa said she and coach Tanya Owen were proud of their girls for not giving up.

“We didn't do too much wrong; we just got outplayed a bit,” Panapa said.

“Waikohu are a strong team and played lovely netball, and we won the fourth quarter so we're proud of that.”

Prem Reserve: YMP Masters 26 Farmlands Ngatapa 18, Old Girls Whangara 30 YMP (2) 25, JT Contractors Horouta Taimana 28 East Coast Log Haulage HSOG 22, JT Contractors Horouta Taimana 29 YMP (2) 21.

The two final round-robin premier games at the YMCA on Wednesday night are YMP (1) versus Gillies Electrical GGHS Snr A, and then F45 HSOG versus JT Contractors Horouta Gold, with top-four placings on the line.