Champs Police win PoSNL opener

CHAMPIONS Police whipped Mucurapo Ex-Pupils 45-33 to start the defence of their Pearl Francis Championship Divi-sion title in the Port-of-Spain Netball League. The Policewomen arrested the lead from the start of Thursday’s game at the Lystra Lewis Courts, Princes Building, leading 8-7 at the end of the opening quarter and increasing to 19-16 at half-time. At the end of the three-quarter period Police led 29-24 and put on the handcuffs on the Ex-Pupils in the final stanza, outscoring them 15-9 for the victory behind 29 goals from Donna Elisa Charles.  Beverly Hernandez had ten goals and Euphemia Huggins six, and for Ex-Pupils Simone Morgan scored 28, Wendy Scott four and Donna Thomas one.

In the other game in the same division, last year’s runners-up Defence Force overran Soul City 34-26, after trailing 6-5, 14-13 at the end of the opening quarters. The Army-Coast Guard girls took over for good in the third period leading 22-20 and then scoring 12 goals to six in the final quarter to go on to victory. Dianna Pierre scored 19 of 22 attempts and Anastascia Wilson 15 of 19 for Defence Force while Debra Beckles got 13 of 19 attempts, Tricia Liverpool four of seven and Michelle Boyce nine of 20 for Soul City. San Juan Jabloteh handed Arima Ball Masters a 23-7 licking in the Barbara Chandleur B1 Division on Tuesday.

Nicola Lewis led the scoring with 13 goals from 24 attempts while Blossom Patterson chipped in with ten from 13 for the winners who held a comfortable 23-7 lead at the half. Candase Castle scored six goals and Cindy Ann Jackson one for the Arima lasses. But another Eastern-based club Arima United, went on a 15-2 second half run to hammer Sparkles 21-8 in the same division. Danielle Samtanah scored 15 and Stacey Ann Patron six for Sparkles while Candace McKnight got six and Germain Charles two for the losers. But in a tense game, M&M Insurance Uppers squeezed past Gems 13-12, with Samantha Joseph scoring 11 goals and Sherneeka Williams two for Uppers. Alicia Alexander scored seven and Jasmine Kirton five for Gems.