TIVOLI ‘A’ put on a stellar performance to deny Jamalco an eighth straight Jamaica Netball Association (JNA) Berger Super League title following a 44-40 win in Game Two of their best-of-three final at the National Indoor Sports Centre on Monday to take the series 2-0.

Knowing everything rested on this match — Jamalco needing to win to stay alive in the series, and Tivoli wanting the win to clinch it after Saturday’s 42-40 win in Game One — the nervous tension emanating from both teams was almost palpable.

Tivoli won the toss but lost the pass through turnover several times after a number of missed opportunities to get the ball safely to goalshooter Kasey Evering or goal attack Jody Ffrench.

Jamalco suffered the same nervy beginning and the game was nearly three minutes old before Tivoli scored the first goal. It took another two minutes before Jamalco was able to level the score.

Tivoli managed to stay ahead taking the first quarter 12-10. Jamalco took the lead for the first time mid-way the second quarter, taking a 16-15 lead but unforced errors and a few sloppy passes resulted in a turnover battle reminiscent of a serve and volley game of lawn tennis. Tivoli were able to recapture the quarter and had a narrow one-point advantage 22-21 at half-time.

The experience of Jamalco helped them retake the initiative and widen the gap by six points into the third quarter before Tivoli took it back to within a point 31-32.

They almost threw it away in the last quarter with the title on the line as diminutive centre Nadine Bryan worked overtime to help push Jamalco into a five-point lead.

Somehow the orange-and-black-clad Tivoli were able to use the mishaps of former national captain Elaine Davis, who when it mattered most was unable to score the crucial points as Evering, while still obviously struggling, seemed to find some of the form she had been lacking in Game One.

Davis ended with 33 from 40 attempts, while Evering scored 13 from 18.

Coach Christopher Campbell said it was “just that moment in time” for his team to shine.

“We were down, we stuck with it, we stayed with it and we had some changes, but I was leaving it for that moment,” he said.

“We were a little bit careless in he first part of the game, but we put it together and we got it right eventually.”

Jamalco’s coach Winston Nevers was denied twice as his other team, Windalco, were beaten 66-60 by Waulgrovians in the earlier third-place play-off which went into overtime after a 51-51 regulation score.

The purple-and-white-clad Wualgrovians led by 59 goals from 65 attempts from Janielle Fowler and seven from nine from national captain Simone Forbes. AnnaKay Griffiths landed 38 from 47 for the losers.