Eastern Region netball coach Eliza Falcon will be looking for greater accuracy and concentration from her players in the second leg of a doubleheader against the touring Australian Capital Territories Academy side in Hastings tonight.
Eastern lost 53-45 in the first leg at the Hastings Sports Centre last night and left Falcon lamenting a disappointing shooting percentage and a final-quarter mental lapse.
"We let ourselves down in our shooting. We were running at only 60 percent to ACT's 75 and that tell's a story. There was also a concentration factor in the last quarter," Falcon said of Eastern's first build-up game for the national championships in Invercargill late next month.
"But for a first-up game, I think we went pretty well.
The girls put on a good show, we used the whole bench and we'll improve," she said.
After a strong start to lead 5-0 after five minutes, Eastern struggled with ACT's fast, athletic game with the tourists taking a 14-12 lead after the first quarter and ahead 26-20 at halftime.
The home team had a 15-13 advantage in the third quarter to close the margin to 39-35 before ACT took control in the final quarter.
Wing attack Anne-Marie Kupa was Eastern's player of the match.
- HAWKE'S BAY TODAY
Netball: ACT side draws first blood in series
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