UTT netballers clinch tertiary title

SHERDON PIERRE

The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) retained their title by outclassing arch-rivals University of the West Indies (UWI) 23-9 in the final round of matches of the Tertiary Sport Association of Trinidad and Tobago (TSATT) Inter-University Netball competition last week at UWI-SPEC, St Augustine.

It was the second victory for UTT over their UWI counterparts in the last couple weeks after their football team thrashed UWI 5-1 in the tertiary final.

UTT and UWI’s netball teams were on a collision course after both registered comfortable victories in the competition against the University of Southern Caribbean (USC) and COSTAATT in the earlier rounds. UTT were captained by national player Shaquanda Greene and boasted the likes of national goal-shoot Samantha Wallace and TT Under-21 player Shantel Seemungal. UWI were boosted by national player Malaika Peters.

Wallace was unstoppable throughout the match-up, scoring 21 points in 29 attempts. UTT began the more assured team, outscoring their opponents 5-1 at the end of the first quarter. The defending champions continued with the same intensity as they recorded a 12-3 lead at the end of the half.

The combination of the accuracy and skills of Wallace, together with the sturdiness of Greene, proved too much for UWI’s defence despite the efforts of Peters.

In the second half, UWI rotated their squad and were able to score six points while UTT added nine to win comfortably 23-9 and lift the trophy. USC captured the bronze medal with victory over COSTAATT.