Curleen Lara, the leading shooter of the Jean Pierre Caribbean Youth Netball Championships, lit up the nets to help Spartoms edge Malta Carib Senators 34-33 in the Lystra Lewis Port-of-Spain Netball League (LLPOSNL) on Saturday.
The goal-shooter, who was instrumental in T&T’s regional title defence last month, produced 29 goals from 35 attempts in an exciting A Division match at the Woodbrook Youth Facility.
Lara opened in the shooting circle with Christine Wint, one of three players utilised in the goal-attack position. She scored all nine of her team’s opening goals to ensure Spartoms established an early 9-6 lead by the end of the first quarter. However, Malta Carib, boosted by shooters Makeda Pierre and Candice Charles, battled back in the second quarter, outscoring their opponents 10-7 to tie the score, 16-16, at halftime.
On the resumption, Spartoms–coached by the successful national Under-16 coach Sojourner Hyles-Lewis–recovered in the third quarter to push ahead by three goals (25-22) heading into the final period.
Coach Hyles-Lewis opted for Zewditu Alexander in the goal-attack bib for the final stretch, replacing Joniah Beharry (1/3), who had earlier substituted for Wint. In the fourth quarter, the Senators dominated by outscoring Spartoms 11-9, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit, and they had to settle for a narrow one-goal defeat.
Alexander, another key player in T&T’s U-16 defence, added four goals from six tries in the win.
For Malta Carib, goal-attack Candice Charles led with 22 goals from 33 attempts, while goal-shooter Makeda Pierre netted 11 from 26. In the division’s other match, despite Cherryell McIntosh leading all scorers with 20 goals from 35 attempts, her team, Laventille United, fell to Cardinals 41-30. Shooting for the Cardinals were Genesis Clifford (12/16), Crystal Noel-Cockburn (10/20), Pearl St. John (10/21), and Akiela O’Neil (4/9).
In the lone Men’s Division match, Kerry McMillan notched 43 goals in 50 tries to lead Defence Force to a comfortable 53-20 victory over Horizon. The quarter scores of 15-1, 27-9, and 39-15 were all in favour of (IFO) Defence Force.
