NHC win netball title

Sports

THE National Housing Commission won the Public Servants Netball Competition premier division title for the 2016/17 season after defeating National Fisheries Authority 22-16 in the grand final on Saturday.
In a hotly contested game where both teams hustled and fought for every point it was the women in maroon and white led by national representative Japerth Tulapi, who finally came away victorious at the Rita Flynn Netball Complex.
Played in front of a sizebale crowd of the city’s netball faithful the contest was intense as aggressive defence was countered by sharp, fast shots from both sides.
NHC and NFA were even in the  the mid-court tussle with bot sets of centres able to work their possession into range for their shooters to fire off.
The first quarter of the game was dominated to the NFA with quick and accurate passing by centre Vicky Railako to her shooters Stacy Haeremai and Kathrine Dimore.
NFA took the early lead as a result.
It was only the determined efforts of the NHC defenders Ulise Rudd and Gretel Tovue that kept the NFA shooters honest.
The NHC worked their way into the contest off the back that solid defensive effort and with Tulapi at the helm in the mid-court the tide began to turn Housing’s way.
She had help from wing attack Justine Gabina and wing defence Naomi Wari, with the centre court trio for NHC began to swing the game in their team’s favour as they slowed down the pace and patiently strung passes together opening up the opponent’s defence.
The NHC shooters kept the heat on, scoring consistently for a 14-8 halftime lead.
The second half continued in the same vein, with both teams unwilling to give an inch to their opponents.
As the game entered the final quarter the fast pace was beginging to tell on the players as errors crept in.
A late surge by NFA was not enough to close the gapand they were six points adrift when the final whistle went.