It was a close and well fought game between Active Refrigeration Fideliter 1 and Treewise Marist, with the game having the potential to go either way. However, it was to be Fideliter 1's day by 50-44.
Fideliter 1 had a strong start and was up by seven goals at the end of the first quarter, but then Marist won the next two quarters to peg it back to be within three goals at the end of the third quarter.
However, a good final quarter by Fideliter 1 saw them win by six goals. For Fideliter 1, the defence players had to dig deep against the experienced Marist shooters. In the midcourt the ball was moved with speed, sometimes to the team's detriment. In at wing attack the team welcomed back Ajay Young who slotted in like she had never been gone. Hayley Tipene at centre for most of the game was the main ball carrier and she worked hard all game.
For Marist, Kim Ruth at wing attack for most of the game was disruptive and got good turnover ball on defence. She combined well with Tamea Ross at centre who had a strong attacking game. Rose Parker at goal keep applied good pressure throughout the game.
Manawanui White had the biggest win of the round with a 60-38 romping over Active Refrigeration Fideliter 2. The first quarter was close however with only four goals the difference. And even at half time there was only a difference of seven goals showing how competitive the Fideliter 2 team can be.
For Manawanui White, the shooters initially struggled to find their rhythm and were forced to play the ball around. The introduction of Grace Cooper at goal attack in the second half lifted the tempo of the game. Once again the mid court pairing of Larissa Hona at centre and Kelsey Power at wing attack ensured a good supply of ball into the shooters.
Northland Coastal Development Whangaruru had another big score, this time against Potter Electrical Onerahi 1 by 66-47.
For Whangaruru 1, Adelaide Campbell playing at centre did a capable job in the absence of both Jaimee Lee Tito and Shawni Paniona. She was ably assisted by Kea Randall at wing attack who displayed some nice moves. Sophy Tua at goal attack in the first quarter got a good momentum up for the various shooting combinations. In the defence end Lettica Shelford at wing defence and Liahona Hebden at goal defence got some good turnover ball and were strong through the court on attack.
Meanwhile in the final game, Manawanui Red had a good win over WGHS 1 by 58-37. But, once again at the end of the first quarter there was not much in it as Manawanui only lead by three.
For Manawanui Red, Mellinee Leef at goal defence got numerous intercepts and hunted the ball. She was ably assisted by Hayley Thompson at goal keep and jointly they had some dynamic defensive play. Andrea Cameron at wing defence in the first half added height to the mid court and Shaiyar Larkins on in the second half showed good speed. Gail Shepherd at goal attack and Ringi Hohepa at goal shoot were consistent and created good space.
For WGHS 1, Jacinta Matson at centre combining with Hanna Tukaki at wing attack had strong games. Anna Goodman at wing defence then goal defence played a tight defensive game restricting the movement of the Manawanui attacks.
Educare North Premier Results, July 26