Girls’ High, Waikohu win Round 1 Premier Grade netball

Defensive dominance set Gisborne Girls’ High Senior A up for their first win of the Premier Grade netball season last night.

The students beat Horouta Koura 35-23 but will still have to go through Challenge round games.

In last night’s other game in the YMCA stadium, Claydens Waikohu secured second spot with a 38-24 defeat of Whangara Old Girls (1).

The two games brought an end to Round 1 of the competition which is to be followed by the Challenge round of games for all senior netball grades.

The top two teams — bar Premier Grade — from each grade play the bottom two teams of the grade below.

Gisborne Netball Centre then decides the make-up of all grades for the competition proper.

With the completion of Round 1 Premier Grade games, reigning champions YMP Turanga FM finished unbeaten on 16 points, followed by Waikohu on nine, Whangara eight, Gisborne Girls’ High five and Horouta four.

The Girls’ High-Horouta game was an even contest for the first two quarters, with both teams working the ball well into their shooters.

The teams were locked 9-all after the first period and Horouta had edged ahead 17-15 by halftime.

That all changed in the third quarter as the students tightened things up in defence. The midcourt and defence combined to put pressure on the Horouta ball, which created opportunities for intercepts or tipped ball.

Goal keep Joaquinna Kaa pounced to make several intercepts while goal defence Piper Glass-Donaldson, wing defence Hine Cotter-Luke and centre Te Arai Waihape-Matthews secured some as well.

Such pressure restricted Horouta’s shooters to just two goals in the third spell and four in the last quarter.

Girls’ High profited at the attacking end to forge a 24-19 lead by the third-quarter break and won the last stanza 11-4.

Waikohu moved the ball impressively through the court from the start, showing the good understanding and combinations developing between players.

They were ahead 10-7 after the first quarter and advanced to 21-12 by halftime.

Whangara had passages of good flow but also made errors which Waikohu were quick to capitalise on and turn into points.

They had the edge over the final two quarters though not by much, leading by 29-17 after the third period and consolidating that in the final quarter.

Horouta and Girls’ High are back in action next Wednesday for the opening games of the Challenge round. The leading team in the premier reserve grade — YMP (2) — will be involved in that. The second team from that grade is yet to be decided.