Waimea Prices Ahurei put its worst performance of the season behind it, to beat Nelson College for Girls 68-58 in Thursday’s Nelson Premier Netball semi-final.
The defending champions had missed out on the direct route to the final when they crashed 58-37 against Jacks OPD the previous Thursday at Saxton Stadium.
“We came together at training, connected and wiped last week. That was our bad game and I thought 'do I make changes or not', and I chose not to,” says Prices coach Mandy Whiting.
The team responded, especially the shooters, Shar Lowe and Chelsea Reed, who had been thwarted in their last match.
“They are two players who have played together for a long time,” declares Mandy.
NCG had upset Prices by five goals last month, and led 15-14 at the end of the first quarter last night, in their first ever semi-final appearance in the Nelson senior club competition.
The schoolgirls fired long balls into rangy shooter Greer Robertson, but Prices managed to snaffle a few of them and captain Tui Kinita’s speed and hustle unsettled NCG too.
At one stage, Prices went seven goals ahead in the second quarter and still led by five at the break.
But Nelson forced turnovers of its own, and stormed back to level up at 33-all.
Prices was just up by three goals early in the final quarter but then edged clear to win 68-58.
“We kept coming back within three or four goals but just did a couple of silly things towards the end. We had two Year 11 shooters versus two very talented ladies. They are smart heads in that shooting circle,” says NCG coach Faye Eden.
Prices now has to back up in the final against Jacks on Saturday afternoon.
“We are used to that quick turnaround. We know it is going to be tough. We just have to back our processes,” concludes Mandy.
The premier final starts at 2.15pm.
Meanwhile the Nelson College for Girls team will return to Saxton Stadium on Monday week for the annual South Island Secondary Schools (SISS) tournament where it is seeded seventh.
