Pepes hopes fade

 PAPUA New Guinea slumped to its third straight loss at the Nations Cup netball tournament in Singapore yesterday.

A disappointing Pepes were beaten 52-43 by 23rd ranked Malaysia at the OCBC Arena with coach Unaisi Rokoura lamenting the lack of consistency shown by her team.

“It was a disappointing loss. We came into this game expecting to do very well and we started strongly in the first quarter leading 15-10, but we went to sleep after that,” Rokoura said. The loss has dashed any hopes the 17th ranked Pepes had of finishing in the top two of the six-team tournament.

In the earlier match Samoa beat Botswana 49-34 to maintain their top position at the invitational tournament. Rokoura said her side lacked the concentration and focus needed to maintain their intensity and stay competitive. A high error count did not help as well.

“That lack of consistency over the four quarters really hurt us. I thought Winnie Mavara and her sister Lua Rikis were our best on the court but you need all seven players to perform not just one or two.”

PNG play Ireland today and a win is still no guarantee they will not end up with the wooden spoon.

The Pepes are last on the ladder with two more games to go before the place playoffs.