Namibia’s Desert Jewels signed off with a win after beating Northern Ireland 43-39 in their final match at the Celtic Cup in Glasgow, Scotland, yesterday.
It was Namibia’s first victory after four defeats which saw them finishing second last on the log. Uganda, however, kept Africa’s flag flying by winning the tournament with five victories.
Yesterday, Uganda edged Wales 54-51 in a close encounter to remain unbeaten at the tournament.
They opened their campaign with a 65-38 win against Namibia on 26 November, followed by a 72-46 win against Northern Ireland.
On Friday they beat Scotland 53-51 in another close encounter, before beating Zimbabwe 67-54 on Saturday.
Scotland finished second with four wins, while Wales were third with three wins, Zimbabwe fourth with two wins, Namibia fifth with one win, and Northern Ireland sixth with no wins.
In their opening match against Uganda on 26 November, Namibia got off to a good start, but Uganda gradually stamped their authority on the match as netballscotland.com reported:
“A close opening quarter saw the seventh-ranked Uganda She Cranes take a narrow 13-10 lead to the first break. Star shooter Mary Cholhok was a target early and her matchup against Desert Jewels captain Cornelia Mupenda was a feature.
“The She Cranes put the pedal to the floor in the second quarter and established a double figure lead by halftime, 31-21. Changes aplenty in the third quarter saw all players take to the court in a bid to establish combinations for the week ahead.
“Namibia fought hard and had many entertaining passages of play utilising their athleticism, however, they were unable to chip away at the margin and Uganda went on to record a comfortable 65-38 victory. For her superb long-range shooting throughout She Cranes Goal Attack Shadia Nassanga was named player of the match.”
The next day Namibia lost 58-33 to Scotland, after trailing 15-6, 29-14 and 45-23 at the end of the first three quarters.
“The Thistles were fresh off their upset win Wednesday night against the Welsh Feathers, and they began slowly in this one as the Jewels defensive end of Mupenda and Hunga were making life difficult for the Thistles midcourt. The Thistles eventually found their stride and opened a 15-6 lead at the first break,” netballscotland.com reported.
The second quarter saw more of the same swarming defence from the Thistles while the Jewels took the most of their opportunities. Both teams’ turnover was a little higher than desired and another low scoring quarter ensued as Scotland took a comfortable 29-14 lead at the half time break.”
“The third quarter saw the introduction of Anna Shipanga for the Jewels while the Thistles countered with Evie Watts, Cerys Finn and Niamh McCall. The half time margin remained relatively unchanged as both sides traded goals in the early exchanges.
“The Thistles found their stride as the quarter went on and the combinations started to gel. Elisia Hambongo and Miryam Johannes did their bit for Namibia however it was another quarter in favour of the hosts 16-9 and a 45-23 margin going to the last break.
“The fourth quarter became a little frantic at times as both teams mixed their lines searching for new combinations and connections. Full credit to Namibia who kept fighting and kept the margin down with good energy throughout the quarter. 13-10 in a tight quarter with everyone giving their all,” it reported.
On Friday, Namibia lost 49-39 to Zimbabwe, after a ‘blistering 19-9 first quarter laid the foundation for the Gems and that margin in the first proved to be the difference in the end.’
“With star shooter Sharon Bwanali rested, it created the opportunity for Nalani Mukunde to start and she was super-efficient with 31 goals at 97% accuracy. At the opposite end Desert Jewels shooter Uendjisuvera Kangumine was equally strong with 27 goals to lead her team.”
“Namibia showed great resilience to remain close for the remainder of the match and will take a deal of confidence into their weekend matches against Wales and Northern Ireland,” it added.
On Saturday Namibia lost 67-39 to Wales, after losing the first three quarters 14-10, 40-19 and 56-26, before finishing off with a 43-39 victory against Northern Ireland yesterday.
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