West Coast Warriors defended their top position on the ladder in their game against Curtin Hamersley Comets in Round 11 of the Gold Industry Group West Australian Netball League Opens fixture.
The last time these two sides competed, there was only a four-point difference in the final score. However, it was Warriors who kept the lead each quarter to secure their victory against Comets 44-36.
The battle between the first and fourth team on the ladder began with Warriors’ Caitlyn Brown executing excellent pressure on Comets’ shooters from the get-go.
A young shooter, Aitaua Enari from the Comets is only fifteen years old and played exceptionally well throughout the game, shooting Comet’s first goal for the night. Despite Enari’s mammoth effort shooting, Stephanie Cooper’s experience as a GK defender put pressure on the fresh talent. However, this did not manage to frighten Enari as she continued to score well the entire game.
Comets worked hard to open up and make good use of the space on court, with Sydney Rafferty in WA being invaluable to get the ball through the middle of the court. Not only was it her smooth passes, but Rafferty was also able to create fantastic defensive pressure with strong intercepts. However, stand-out shooter Hana Stokes was on her game, as she has been all season, shooting goal after goal for Warriors.
Each quarter, both teams were running hard and implementing strong zone defence. Warriors players were able to read the play well throughout the night, making fantastic intercepts to regain possession.
Comets struggled to battle the Warriors’ defensive pair Stephanie Cooper and Caitlyn Brown. Cooper was quick to collect the rebounds and pass straight through to Brown. Such strong defensive pressure from these two Warriors created ongoing opportunities for the team to send the ball back to their shooters. However, Comets’ defenders were able to match this pressure on their side, forcing the Warriors’ attackers to continue passing back and forth between each other, delaying their time to shoot.
Having Warriors with a 10-point lead to finish the third quarter, Comets came into the final quarter determined to fight for their goals. Sloan Burton made a fantastic comeback with multiple long-range shots from around the goal circle, closing the margin in the final quarter to an eight-point win by Warriors 44-36.
ROUND 11 SCOREBOARD
Open’s
West Coast Warriors Netball Club defeated Curtin Hamersley Comets 44-36
East Freo Sharks Netball Inc defeated Southside Demons 50-40
Rangers Netball Club defeated Peel Lightning 53-47
ECU Souwest Jets drew Western Roar Netball Club 46-46
U/20
East Freo Sharks Netball Inc defeated Southside Demons 74-26
Rangers Netball Club defeated Peel Lightning 66-40
West Coast Warriors Netball Club defeated Curtin Hamersley Comets 48-45
Western Roar Netball Club defeated ECU Souwest Jets 64-34
