FORMER champions Scotiabank returned to winning ways with a 59-30 beating of National Housing Trust (NHT) ‘B’ in the 2019 Business House Netball Association (BHNA) Senior A/B Leagues, which continued at the Leila Robinson Courts last Saturday.

The many-time champions completed their preliminary round of matches on 15 points from six starts, losing only to defending champions National Housing Trust (NHT) ‘A’ narrowly in a close duel the previous week.

By virtue of finishing second, Scotiabank have qualified for the semi-finals. Champions NHT ‘A’, who are unbeaten after five games, are also on 15 points.

NHT ‘A’ were set to meet Appliance Traders Limited (ATL) ‘A’ in a rescheduled Senior A/B League match on Tuesday, but it was called off due to inclement weather.  ATL ‘A’ have lost one game from five outings to Scotiabank and are in third position on 12 points.

Meanwhile, Scotiabank took early control of the game with a 14-7 lead at the completion of the first quarter before increasing the lead to a commanding 29-13 at the half-time interval.

The lead stretched farther by the end of the third quarter to 49-19. For Scotiabank, Shadian Hemmings scored 34 goals from 42 attempts, Marsha Murphy-Dawkins got 21 points from 28 attempts, while for NHT ‘B’, Jamila Tulloch got 13 goals from 17 attempts, and Natalie Rhoden added 10 goals from 15 efforts.

In another Senior A/B League match played last Saturday, RJR/ Gleaner Communications Group got past Jamaica National Group 37-34, with Janel Russell scoring 29 goals from 42 efforts, and Ameeca Thomas adding nine goals from 15 efforts.

Natalie Cushine-Vassell with 20 goals from 31 attempts and Simone Reid-Manning with 14 from 26 efforts were the main scorers for JN Group. The quarterly scores saw RJR/Gleaner Group lead 9-4, 20-12, and 26-24 before pulling off the fighting 37-34 win.

Meanwhile, in Intermediate A League, Bank of Jamaica clipped Jamaica Public Service 48-47 in a thriller. HEART Trust/NTA defeated JACE Consultants 47-39, and Hardware and Lumber whipped Sagicor Life Group 47-28.

In Intermediate B League, LASCO Group defeated Guardian Life Group 41-21, Jamaica Fire Brigade outscored University Hospital of the West Indies 27-23, and ALORICA gained a walk over from National Water Commission.