YMP pushed all the way by Waikohu

Key player: Waikohu’s Toni Rutene gathers the ball under pressure from YMP’s Iriesha Carrington-Hingston. Rutene will be a key player for her team when they take on High School Old Girls and Gisborne Girls’ High Senior A in grading games tomorrow. File picture, by Paul Rickard

UNDERDOGS Claydens Waikohu fought heroically against reigning champions YMP (1) before losing 54-46 in the only Pak’nSave Gisborne premier netball game at the YMCA on Saturday.

“I think the girls played awesome; we’re happy as Larry with the score,” said Waikohu coach Cheryl Te Rito, whose sixth-placed team are still in the hunt for a top-four playoff spot despite the defeat,

Waikohu showed they were ready to fight from the first whistle.

Aggressive attack and iron-curtain defence put a normally clinical YMP off-kilter, and Waikohu ended the first quarter 13-12 ahead.

Their determination continued into the second spell, where their play featured some impressive midcourt intercepts.

This, and defensive positioning lapses from YMP, meant the ball was often sent directly to Waikohu goal shoot Toni Rutene, who had an exceptional game.

As the teams jostled for the lead, players were felled by collisions that invoked stern words from one umpire.

Waikohu’s outstanding defence, especially from goal keep Ani Teko, slowed YMP’s shooters.

Two-goal leadHowever, moments of fluid court movement allowed the reigning champions to establish a two-goal lead, which they held after the second and third quarters (24-22 and 38-36).

YMP found their rhythm in the fourth quarter, gaining momentum and demonstrating clean and efficient centrecourt to goal delivery.

Their defence also picked up, which caused the Waikohu shooters to make mistakes.

The feisty play of the first three quarters continued, and Waikohu goal defence Ruby Tuapawa went off injured after a fall.

The loss of this key defender, along with some impressive midcourt turnovers from YMP wing defence Renee Wikaire, resulted in YMP gradually increasing their lead and denying Waikohu what could have been a vital losing bonus point.

YMP coach Irene Takao acknowledged the Waikohu performance.

“We were put under the pump a bit today,” she said.

“Waikohu are a very competitive team and they did really well.”

Takao was forced to try new combinations because four players were absent.

But she said this was no excuse for some of their struggling play, and they would work on improving different line-ups.

YMP lead the competition with 36 points, followed by Whangara on 26, IMS High School Old Girls on 20, Horouta Gold and Gisborne Girls’ High School Snr A on 17, Waikohu on 15, and Farmlands Ngatapa on one.

Waikohu, who have three games to go, have a great chance of picking up four points against Ngatapa on Wednesday. Whangara, with three games remaining, and Horouta, with two to go, meet in the other other Wednesday clash at the YMCA.