Sunshine Girls set up Commonwealth Games semis against Australia
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls beat Wales by 46 goals (74-28) to complete their first round schedule in Pool B of the 23rd Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, setting up a semi-final clash with defending champions Australia on Saturday.
Jamaica finished second in Pool B with eight points, two behind New Zealand, who will face England in the other semi-final.
Jamaica had opened their account with a big 81-22 win over Trinidad and Tobago but then lost 53-48 to New Zealand before beating Uganda 55-49 and then just scraped past Scotland 45-43 on Wednesday.
They got off to a good start on Thursday and never eased off the gas, leading by two goals (13-11) after the first quarter but a 23-7 second quarter took the game away from the Welsh team with the Jamaicans lead by 36-18 at half time and extended the lead to 29 goals (52-23)at the end of the third quarter.
Romelda Aiken-George and Shanice Beckford both scored 26 goals, Azara Wilmot scored 16 and Rhea Dixon scored six goals for Jamaica, while Georgia Rowe led Wales with 18 goals, Phillipa Yarranton scored six and Zoe Mattewman scored three.
— Paul A Reid