An applauding team effort led by trio Aliah Carmichael, Natalie Peters and Chantel Perry saw Maloney Pacers open the inaugural Female Basketball Action (Fem BA) League with a 40-24 win over Brian Chase Academy at the Eastern Regional Indoor Sports Arena, Tacarigua on Tuesday evening.
Carmichael topped with 13 points, post-player Peters, a former national player, was close behind with 12 and Perry added 10 in the comfortable win.
Brian Chase faltered in its second match after its easy opening victory over Police (63-32) on Sunday. No player reached double-figures with leading scorers in that first match, Allison Young and Nyota Saldenha, only managing to put up eight each on the scoreboard.
The other match ended prematurely with Police rebounding from its opening loss, to emerge with a 47-24 triumph over Straker Nets.
Rhonda John-Davis and Kemba Duncan, who are coincidentally the national netball Under-21 coaches, were key in the win for the policewomen. John-Davis topscored with 19 and Duncan netted 12 in a match that ended in the third quarter. This was due to two players of Straker Nets five-man team, being unable to continue, which resulted in the team giving up the match to its opponent.
For Straker, Alicia Cumberbatch, who is vice president of FemBA, produced 15 points and Suelin Tang put in nine, in a losing effort. Neither players did not complete the match. Tang exited first with cramps in her leg then Cumberbatch unfortunately suffered the similar fate with cramps in both feet.
Tonight Straker Nets will try to shake off that defeat and look to take down Pacers, who will seeking its second consecutive win, in the second match of a double-header. In the first match, Brian Chase will seek to get back to winning ways when it faces Grande Young Starz from 6 pm.
RESULTS/FIXTURES
Maloney Pacers 40 (Aliah Carmichael 13, Natalie Peters 12, Chantel Perry 10) vs Brian Chase 24 (Allison Young 8, Nyota Saldenha 8, Akeela Rodriguez 4)
Straker Nets 24 (Alicia Cumberbatch 15, Suelin Tang 9) vs Police 47 (Rhonda John-Davis 19, Kemba Duncan 12)
MATCHES TODAY
Grande Young Starz vs Brian Chase, 6 pm
Straker nets vs Maloney Pacers, 8 pm
SATURDAY
Quarters United vs Maloney Pacers, 5 pm
Grande Young Starz vs Police, 7 pm