Trinidad and Tobago lose thriller to Singapore at Netball Youth World Cup

Trinidad and Tobago's under-21 netballers had a tough pill to swallow at the Netball Youth World Cup in Gibraltar on September 26 as they lost 67-58 to Singapore in a thrilling clash which was decided after two extra-time periods at the Tercentenary Sports Hall.

Playing the Singapore team in a quest to vie for 13th spot at the World Cup on September 27, coach Khalifa McCollin's TT team gave as good as they got and clawed their way back in the closing stages of the fourth quarter to tie the game at 52-52 at the end of regulation time. Singapore held a 51-48 advantage with five minutes left in the final quarter, but weren't clinical in the dying stages as goal-shoot Maikea Bramble put in a number of clutch goals for TT, while McCollin's charges also got a great steal in the final minute of regulation to lead to the game-tying effort.

In the two seven-minute extra-time periods, though, Singapore found another wind in their sails and slowly started pulling away from the junior Calypso Girls to open up a 59-55 lead at the end of the first extra-time period. In the second extra-time period, Singapore added eight more points to their to TT's three to finish with the 67-58 result.

On September 27, Singapore will battle Tonga in the 13th-place playoff, with TT squaring off with hosts Gibraltar from 5 am (TT time) on September 27 in the 15th-place playoff at the Tercentenary Sports Hall.

Also on September 27, Barbados will take on Northern Ireland in the playoff for 17th spot. On September 23, TT got their lone win in the tourney to date when they beat the Bajans 58-33 in their pool D matchup.

Elsewhere, Jamaica will continue their mission to finish in the top five when they play Scotland in the fifth-place playoff on September 28. On September 26, Jamaica put in a strong showing to defeat Cook Islands 57-47 to advance to the fifth-place playoff, with Scotland just edging Malawi 46-42. Malawi beat TT 65-29 in their first match and eventually finished second in pool D behind South Africa.