St. Kitts seals the deal at ECCB Under 23 Netball Tournament

ZIZ Sports…July 7 2011 – The St. Kitts Netball team is the 2011 ECCB OECS under 23 Netball champions. This feat was finalized on the evening of Wednesday 6th July at the Pam Tyson Netball Complex.

For all intents and purposes, the home team had already won the tournament because of their superior goal difference and unbeaten record heading into the final night. However, as they faced the defending champions Grenada in the grand finale, the sold out crowd at the Complex was treated to the best Netball yet of the tournament. It was obvious that the champions did not intend to lose the final match and it was even more obvious that the home team was intent on finalizing an unbeaten record for the tournament. The two teams fought tooth and nail right down to the final whistle.

Heading into the final quarter, Grenada led by a crucial three goals with the score line 33 to 30 in their favour but the St. Kitts team urged on by their vociferous fans, clawed back into the game. With mere seconds to go in the game, the score was 40 to 39 in favour of Grenada and with the ball in the possession of the St. Kitts attacking force, the home crowd literally held their breath – and the shot was good – then came the final whistle. The final score – Grenada 40 St. Kitts 40. A fitting climax to a wonderful tournament. St. Kitts then fittingly adjudged the 2011 champions of OECS under 23 Netball. The home crowd went wild in their celebrations.

The St. Kitts team took most of the outstanding prizes at the closing ceremony:

• Best attacking team – scoring 337 goals
• Best defensive team – only allowing 135 goals
• Best defensive player – Talissa Browne
• Most accurate shooter – Ronel Morton – 84%
• Best center court player – Telisia Richardson

Other awards were as follows:
Most improved team – Anguilla
Most disciplined team – St. Lucia

Champion team – St. Kitts
2nd – St. Vincent and the Grenadines
3rd – Grenada
4th – St. Lucia
5th – Dominica
6th – Anguilla
7th – Nevis

In matches played earlier that same evening, St. Lucia defeated Nevis 38 to 14 and St. Vincent and Grenadines whipped Anguilla 76 to 18.

Nevis’ team captain Sasha Liburd was awarded as her team’s MVP.