Sparks wins female basketball title
The Women’s Issues Network is known to many simply by its initials, WIN… and last night, it really was about women winning when the culmination of a basketball tournament pitted two strong teams against each other. James Adderley has the action in a special sports report.
James Adderley, Reporting
The WIN-Belize Female Basketball Tournament presented its decisive game three for the 2005 title last night inside the City Centre with both Sparks and Maria Chang Eagles coming in with high expectations after each had picked up convincing wins.
Of course, tonight somebody?s got to win, somebody?s got to lose, and Shirley Codd knows it as she intercepts and scores to open the action.
Maria Chang Eagles make it a 5-zip run when Anna Thurton finds Shirley Codd, who would finish with ten points. In fact, Shirley Codd extends the Eagles lead to a 7-2 run with this bucket.
This forces the Sparks to get serious and they go to Enid Dakers who simply outruns the Eagles defence for the easy lay.
Kendra Dyer then goes high off the glass as the Sparks get back into the thick of things.
And then Enid Dakers collects and finds Rushell Hemsley who streaks down court for the easy two to give the Sparks a four-point lead. Christine Avila then gets the turn to shine for Sparks and she does.
However, Codd spots Stacey Webber unattended and Maria Chang crawls back into the picture. And then she comes back with this jumper to keep things rolling?Webber would finish with eight points.
Codd adds to the Maria Chang momentum with this individual effort for two of her team-high ten points. At the half its Sparks nevertheless with a 1-point lead.
Meanwhile, no one was ready for the Maria Chang collapse in second half, caused mostly by the inability to contain the mighty Enid Dakers. Lacey Rosales knows that Dakers is hot and finds her for this beautiful finish.
Folks, it?s a Kylie Rivers basket that ends the Sparks 8-zip run mercifully, to open second half.
Anna Thurton then deals to Tifara Swift, who gets the Eagles closer with this bucket.
At the other end, Dakers finds the open Claudette Williams who sinks this big-time three?she would finish with eight points.
The long throw-in goes to Enid Dakers and she strikes for two more points as the Sparks continue to balloon the lead.
Here?s another look at Enid Dakers out-running the field for two more points. She would finish with game-highs of twenty-four points and nine rebounds.
Sparks goes on to post the 47-29 big W to grab the decisive game three and capture the 2005 WIN-Belize female basketball title. We certainly say congratulations.
Enid Dakers, Sparks
?I feel very good about the victory. It was a tough game coming into game three, but we have worked very hard, at least for the past five months. I do not take the credit; I give it to my team. Maria Chang, for the past I don?t know years have been a very good team. They are very tough to beat, but as I said, I couldn?t have done it without my team. What we did different was we gave a lot of defence and we need to hold the centre and also the guards, Shirley Codd, who was very fast. And we are number one, Sparks as usual. We are coming back next year.?
Lionel Tillett, Head Coach, Sparks
?I love the victory because for the past two years Maria Chang has beaten us in a three-game series for the championship, so we were bridesmaids for two years after being champion for the past four years before they took it over. What I did tonight for the victory was to cut off their main strength, which is their point-guard Shirley. I made one of my guards who could play the better defence just cut off her game. And the other person we had to contain was Anna Thurton. I think Enid did a very good job on her and I guess that?s how we won the game tonight.?
Again we say congratulations to Enid Dakers and the Sparks. James Adderley reporting for News 5.
Congratulations to Sparks and all the teams that participated in the Women’s Issues Network Female Basketball Tournament.
