Calypso Girls, Grenada early leaders in Netball Americas Qualifiers

TRINIDAD and Tobago and Grenada are the early leaders in the points standings after day two of the Netball Americas World Cup Qualifiers at the National Indoor Sports Center in Kingston, Jamaica on Monday.

TT got their third win in as many games with a 49-42 result over St Vincent and the Grenadines.

In a back-and forth opening quarter, the teams traded baskets throughout, with TT coming out 10-9 leaders. They stepped up the tempo in the second quarter to enter halftime with a 28-19 lead before a spirited third quarter effort from the Vincentians meant the score was 37-30 in favour of TT entering the last quarter.

St Vincent and the Grenadines were able to get the lead down to as low as four but turnovers at crucial times meant that TT walked away with a seven-point win to move to six points from three games.

Goal-shoot Afeisha Noel led the way for TT with 32 goals from 37 attempts while goal attack Joelisa Cooper had 17 goals from 19 attempts.

St Vincent and the Grenadines were led by goal shooter Mary Ann Frederick’s 42 goals from 48 attempts.

TT coach Kemba Duncan credited her team for recovering from a difficult third quarter to pull out the win.

“We made some errors but they were able to keep their head in the game and stay steady knowing that they came in at a higher rank and maintain the discipline needed to get the win. They did a good job keeping it together,” she said.

St Vincent and the Grenadines coach Godfrey Harry lamented the team’s turnovers after getting as close as they did in the fourth quarter.

“I think the players got a little to anxious and, because of that, we kept giving up the ball. It was a hard game but it was in our grasp and we allowed it to get away from us,” he said.

Grenada joined TT on six points from three games thanks to a 62-29 win over Antigua/Barbuda while hosts, Jamaica, hammered the United States 70-16 in the other games on day two.