A spirited comeback from Maties saw them claim victory over hosts UP-Tuks in a heavily contested Varsity Netball game at the Rembrandt Hall in Pretoria on Monday (16 September).
The defending champions were looking to bounce back from their one-goal defeat to NWU last week, while the team from Stellenbosch were also looking to return to winning ways after their loss to UFS Kovies.
The Maroon Machine scored first after a crucial turnover from the experienced Syntiche Kabuya before the home team came back to grab the lead thanks to crucial blocks by Phophi Nematangari. Tinita van Dyk shot with accuracy to make sure Tuks took a narrow 14-11 lead at the end of a close opening quarter.
Michelle van der Merwe stepped up in the second 15 minutes, landing more goals to close the gap against Tuks. Kabuya once again provided vital turnovers that frustrated the defending champions, who managed to hold on to a slender 25-23 lead at half-time.
The thrilling encounter kicked into high gear in the latter stages with Maties pressing hard in the third quarter. They dominated the early exchanges, looking to steal the lead, but the introduction of Alice Kennon into the Tuks goal circle turned the tide back in the favour of the hosts, with the penultimate 15 minutes ending at 39-36.
The last quarter saw the introduction of both teams’ power plays, and it was Maties who came out on top, turning a three-point deficit into a seven-point lead. Tuks couldn’t score a single goal in both periods.
The Maroon Machine were relentless in the last quarter with player-of-the-match Miriam Ndjadi producing an unbelievable display on defence.
Maties shut the Rembrandt Hall with a sterling performance, beating the defending champions 48-55.
