The Southern Stings got off the hook in a thrilling encounter and defeated the Golden Fireballs 45-44 this afternoon. Both sides were well rested coming into this match as they only got their second leg campaign underway today. The Fireballs only recorded one win in the first leg following a poor string of results, but they displayed a sublime performance against the Stings. The return of key player- Kamogelo Maseko bolstered the squad, and it was quite evident in the shooting circle because both Maseko and Chante Louw dominated and shut down the Stings’ defensive efforts.
However, the Fireballs had two opportunities to equalize, seconds before the final whistle was blown but the Gauteng side failed to convert and make it count. Stings coach- Annelie Lucas implored her team to remain disciplined on court, ‘’We knew it was going to be hard and we had no doubt about it. We wanted to see the ladies performing under pressure, but we let it slip a few times with our bad decision making. At the end of the day, a win is a win and I feel, a game like this, prepares you for the final’’.
The much-anticipated match between the Gauteng Jaguars and the Free State Crinums wrapped up day two of the second leg. The Crinums had a hundred percent shooting average at half time, but they were unable to hold on to their 21-19 lead in the second quarter and ended up losing the game 45-39. The first quarter developed into a see-sawing battle with the Jaguars leading by three, but the defending champions used their strength and aerial ability to nullify the Crinums’ attacking efforts from the championship quarter to maintain their unbeaten run in the competition
