Story by Colin Tung/Red Sports. Photos by Joseph Lee/Red Sports

Netball-nations-SG-vs-BOTS-02

Chen Huifen (GA) looks to take a shot with Ntebogang Motlakaloso (GK) trying to get a hand to it. (Photo 1 © Joseph Lee/Red Sports)

OCBC Arena, Monday, December 8, 2014 — Singapore earned a second straight win against higher-ranked opposition at the Netball Nations Cup when they beat Botswana 46–41.

The sprightly Botswana women, some of whom were spontaneously dancing to music playing over the speakers in the arena before the game, ran the Singapore team closer in the first half than Papua New Guinea did yesterday. Both teams entered the interval separated by one goal at 25–24.

Singapore extended their lead by another two in the third quarter. With chances at a premium in the fourth, Charmaine Soh (Goal Shooter) and Chen Huifen (Goal Attack) scored nine goals while Premila Hirubalan (Goal Keeper) and Lin Qingyi (Goal Defence) restricted the Botswana women to seven, as both sides had their lowest hauls in four quarters of play.

Explaining the team’s game-plan in the fourth quarter, Singapore captain, Lin Qingyi, said, “We were five points up at that point of time (with about five minutes left in the match). As long as we exhausted the time, we can [sic] maintain the lead. Obviously, the crucial thing is we don’t lose the ball because of stupid mistakes like stepping. We just need[ed] to keep the ball in our own possession. That was the plan.”

Singapore and Samoa, who earlier beat Papua New Guinea, are now the only undefeated teams in the tournament with two wins each.

Qingyi said, “Definitely, it’s a morale booster. That’s the goal for us coming into the tournament, to be able to play a good game against them (the Botswana team) and, hopefully, win the game. And it’s good that we have two games in the bag now. It’s important that we work hard for the other matches coming up the rest of the week – it’s not going to be easy.”

Singapore will next play Ireland tomorrow at 7pm.

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)

Botswana Starting Line-up
Portia Rasekhumba (Goal Attack, captain), Tumisang Bagidi (Wing Attack, vice-captain), Hildah Binang (Goal Shooter), Sarona Hans (Wing Defence), Gosego Tsele (Centre), Ntebogang Motlakaloso (Goal Keeper), Letang Mogotlhwane (Goal Defence)

Scores by Quarter
Singapore vs. Botswana
1Q: 15–10
2Q: 10–14 (25–24)
3Q: 12–10 (37–34)
4Q: 9–7 (46–41)

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