BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC – St. Lucia stayed on track to capture the Caribbean Netball Association’s Jean Pierre Memorial Under-16 Championship, when they landed a pair of solid victories on Tuesday.
The St. Lucians brushed aside Dominica 50-15 in the morning session, and continued their giant-killing act with a 27-19 victory over Trinidad & Tobago in the evening session.
St. Lucia stamped their authority from early, taking a 14-4 lead after the first quarter, and extended their lead to 27-7 at halftime before they pulled out a 41-12 lead after three quarters.
Ianna Hippolyte led the way for the St. Lucians with 33 goals from 47 attempts, and Jo-Ann Anderson finished with 17 from 31.
Sara Baptiste was Dominica’s most successful scorer with nine from 24, Carlea Francis ended with a perfect three from three, and Nakina Honore netted three from six.
The St. Lucians returned later to topple T&T, after an absorbing first quarter saw them hold a 6-5 lead, and they held a 15-10 advantage at halftime.
The third period was decisive, as Anderson and Hippolyte got much better flow of balls into the circle, and they stretched the St. Lucians’ lead to 22-14 after three periods.
Hippolyte finished with 17 from 23, and Anderson scored 12 from 22 for the St. Lucians, while Kalifa McCollin led the way with 11 from 16 for T&T, Janeela McCarthy scored three from five, and Lennec McKella sunk three from six.
It was doubly distressing day for T&T, after Barbados had stopped them 30-22 in a morning contest.
The match had been a genuine contest over the first three periods, although the Barbadians held leads of 8-6 after the first stanza, 16-12 at halftime, and 18-17 at three-quarter time.
But Barbados stepped up at both ends of the court, with their shooters getting solid service under the hoop from the midfield, and their defence putting resisting firmly.
Shonni Wharton made 26 from 37 for the Barbadians, Sheniqua Thomas supported with four from 10, and Vanessa Bobb failed to score in her time on court.
McCollin got nine from 12 for T&T, McCarthy nine from 14, and Lennec McKella four from five.
In the other Division 1 match contested, Meshand Creese scored 24 from 26 and Carlene Douglas 19 from 30, as St. Vincent & the Grenadines crushed Dominica 43-18.
Baptiste netted 12 from 24 for Dominica, Honore five from nine, and Francis one from two.
In the Development Division, Guyana defeated Anguilla 27-12, and Bermuda beat St. Kitts 31-19 in the morning session.
In the evening session, Bermuda stopped Anguilla 31-2, and St. Kitts toppled Guyana 38-23
