Bullets connect in Megamart Women's League

BY GERALD REID Observer Writer

Tuesday, February 07, 2012

WAULGROVIAN Bullets defeated Unique Ballers, 50-40, to capture the MEGAMART/JBA Women's Super League title by winning Game 2 of the best-of-three finals at the Leila Robinson Courts Sunday night.

The Marlon Nattie-coached Bullets became the first holders of the e title. Bullets had earlier won Game One, 51-33, last Thursday.

Braves Smilers were the 2010/2011 winners before MEGAMART came on board as the new sponsor.

Winning coach Nattie said: "It was a hard-fought victory but we held out in the long run to win. I give full credit to Unique Ballers as they made the match tough for us... there are many skill players in their team.

"I know they would be coming... we had a plan for them, but it was all a team game despite two individuals standouts during the match, but it was definitely an all-round team effort that enabled us to capture the title," Nattie said.

Nattie said in the first two quarters it was Latoya Bidwell-Wallen who was going well to put her team on top. However, in the fourth and final quarter "captain Oberon Pitterson-Nattie came through at the real crucial point when we only led 44-38 with three minutes remaining on the clock".

"She produced the goods and finishing touches with her vast international... and semi-professional experience to set up victory at the right time," he added.

Meanwhile, losing coach of Ballers, Everton Travers, said: "It was a hard-fought game and despite losing, the girls really played extremely well to rally from a half-time 18-point deficit at 28-15...

"The Bullets team is much taller and too strong for Ballers' shorter girls... I knew that it was going to be tough due to the size of our opponents, but with a little more luck we could have pulled it off," he said.

The first quarter saw the Bullets dominating play through some quick baskets by Bidwell-Wallen, who rushed her team to a 12-0 lead after five minutes.

With Ballers not getting their shots inside the hoop, it took them some seven minutes before Tracey-Ann Kelly scored their first basket, and seconds before half-time Zanoria Dell got another to end the period 12-4 in favour of Bullets.

In the second quarter, the Bullets continued taking control of the game although the Ballers played a little better. But it was the shooting combinations of Pitterson and Bidwell although giving addition support by their teammate, who outscored the losers, 16-11, despite Kelly and Dell attempts to keep pace with their opponents while trailing, 28-13, at the half-time break.

The Ballers produced their best in the third quarter and began closing the lead through the shootings of Kelly and Dell which saw them behind by only six points at 32-26.

Bullets came under pressure as the scoring rate of Ballers picked up tremendously 8-34 at the final break, by outscoring the winners 19-10 points.

It was a tense tussle in the crucial fourth quarter as neither team wanted to commit too many fouls, which resulted in shots being short of target or rebounding off the rim as they failed to score after three minutes.

However, the experienced plays of Pitterson came through as she scored three consecutive baskets to push Bullets' lead further at 42-36 with one reply by Ballers with five minutes remaining.

The game was still a close one with three minutes left, with Bullets up, 44-38, and in the last two minutes, 48-39 for a 10-point lead with a minute left.

Ballers tried hard in those final three minutes, but failed to contain their opponents with their shootings being off as they tried to produced three-pointers in order to close the lead.

In the end, the Bullets went on to win a very exciting match, 50-40, to clinch the series, 2-0.

For the Bullets, Pitterson scored 15 points, had five rebounds, one steal and five assists. Bidwell-Wallen got 14 points, three rebounds and seven steals.

For the Ballers, Kelly had a game-high 21 points, including five rebounds and two blocked shots, while teammate Dell had 11 points, two rebounds and two steals.

Meanwhile, third place went to Lady Panthers, who defeated Homestead Cougars, 57-54, in over-time after the scores were tied at 45-45 points in regulation time.

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Bullets connect in Megamart Women's League