Story by Colin Tung/Red Sports. Photos by Clara Yuan/Red Sports

NATIONSCUP-D1-2

Chen Huifen (GA) fights for possession of the ball. (Photo 1 © Clara Yuan/Red Sports)

OCBC Arena, Sunday, December 7, 2014 — Asian champions Singapore beat Papua New Guinea (PNG) 47–42 to win the opening game of the Netball Nations Cup, but not before a third-quarter malaise allowed the world-ranked 17th PNG to turn around a six-goal half-time deficit to give the host nation a scare.

PNG scored the opening goal after beginning the game with possession of the ball but that lead was one they soon relinquished, chasing the game as uncertain shooting saw Lua Rikis (Goal Shooter), Jeperth Tulapi (Goal Attack) and, later, Rayleen Andrew (Goal Attack) combine for a 63 percent conversion rate in the first half.

Though Charmaine Soh (Goal Shooter), Singapore’s main outlet for goals, also took time to get into the game, missing half of her 10 attempts in the first quarter and three of 15 shots in the second, Singapore did enough to take a 25–19 lead into half-time.

Emerging from half-time with Ang Shi Qi replacing Nur Aqilah Afiqah at Wing Defence, Singapore, lower-ranked than the Papua New Guineans by two positions, struggled to create chances for Charmaine and Chen Huifen (Goal Attack). It did not help that the 1.78-metre Rikis was having her best quarter of the game scoring all 10 of her attempts.

With three minutes to go in the third quarter, it was Rikis who gave the Papua New Guineans the lead again. At 31–32, Premila Hirubalan (Goal Keeper) called an injury time-out, which gave the Singapore team some time to re-group, and they did.

After the break, Charmaine promptly levelled the scores again. With under a minute left in the quarter, two quick-fire goals by Huifen and Charmaine made scores 34–32. But Guinean Goal Attack Andrew pulled one back for her team as the 2013 second runners-up outscored Singapore 9–14 in the quarter to set up a tense end to the game.

Singapore, having finished runners-up and above the Guineans last year in the same tournament, however, displayed mettle to close out the game 47–42 as they prepare to next face world no. 16 Botswana tomorrow at 7pm. The other teams in the tournament are Malaysia (world no. 23), Ireland (28), and Samoa (14).

Scores by Quarter
Singapore vs. Papua New Guinea
1Q: 9–7
2Q: 16–12 (25–19)
3Q: 9–14 (34–33)
4Q: 13–9 (47–42)

Singapore Starting Line-up
Lin Qingyi (Goal Keeper, co-vice-captain), Premila Hirubalan (Goal Defence), Nur Aqilah Afiqah (Wing Defence), Nurul Baizura (Centre), Kimberly Lim (Wing Attack), Chen Huifen (Goal Attack, co-vice-captain), Charmaine Soh (Goal Shooter)

Papua New Guinea Starting Line-up
Susan Wellington (Goal Keeper), Kilala Owen (Goal Defence, vice-captain), Courtney Abel (Wing Defence), Winnie Mavara (Centre, captain), Jacklyn Lahari (Wing Attack), Jeperth Tulapi (Goal Attack), Lua Rikis (Goal Shooter)

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