SHOOTER Kadian Mendes and defender Kerry-Ann Brown starred in Jamaica's exciting 27-22 win over highly-rated Barbados in their second match of the Caribbean Netball Association under-16 tournament in Grenada yesterday.
Mendes converted 21 of 23 attempts while Brown created numerous turnovers at the opposite end to feed her team the chances. Goal-attack Tara Wilson scored six of her nine chances.
The win was the second for defending champions Jamaica who defeated Guyana 52-9 in their opening game.
The game according to head of delegation Audrey Thompson was "highly competitive and very exciting."
The score was locked at 7-7 at the end of the first quarter but Jamaica, demonstrating prowess in mid-court managed to stay a goal ahead and led 12-11 at half time.
Barbados never let up but the young Sunshine Girls applied pressure and increased their lead for 18-15 at the end of the third quarter.
"Both teams played very well. We space-marked very well and we capitalised on the turnovers by scoring. They are fit but we are superior.
"By the looks of things I think it's going to be a Barbados-Jamaica final and it's going to be even better then. They are definitely the two strongest teams," Thompson predicted.
In other games unbeaten Trinidad & Tobago kept their win record intact with a resounding 49-8 over Turks & Caicos. St Lucia defeated the Commonwealth of Dominica 31-18 while newcomers St Kitts edged Grenada 29-28.
Today will prove arduous for the Jamaicans who have back-to-back matches - at 6:15 a.m. (Jamaica time) against St Kitts before meeting Grenada at 5:30 p.m.
