Sunshine Girls make easy sweep of Trinidad and Tobago
As expected, Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls completed a 3-0 series sweep of Trinidad and Tobago’s Calypso Girls, taking the third and final contest 73-22 at the National Indoor Sports Centre yesterday.
The Jamaicans, who won the first two encounters 71-22 and 64-32, respectively, once again led from start to finish, but, more importantly, did so in a much more composed and fluent manner.
Captain Jhaniele Fowler again starred in the shooting circle scoring, 41 goals from 46 attempts, with goal attack Shanice Beckford accounting for 13 goals from 17 attempts. Gezelle Allison sank 10 of her 14 attempts, while Rebekah Robinson had nine goals from 13 attempts.
Fowler’s opposite number Kalifa McCollin also led her team from the front with 14 goals from 17 attempts, with support coming from Afeisha Noel, who scored seven of her nine attempts. Afiya Vincent had a solitary goal from three attempts.
Unlike Tuesday’s second game in particular, where they easily turned over possession at times, the Sunshine Girls commanded their respective positions across court on this occasion, which left the opponents struggling to find a response.
After ending the first quarter 17-7, the number four-ranked Sunshine Girls exploded in the second quarter, outscoring their number 10-ranked Caribbean rivals 23-3, to make the score 40-10 at half-time.
Though the one-way traffic continued in the third quarter, the Jamaicans gradually lost shape, and it was at that point that Trinidad’s form, or lack thereof, was brought into sharp focus, as they failed to capitalise.
Instead, they only mustered five goals to the Sunshine Girls’ 17, as the gap widened to 57-15 and the writing was very much on the wall.
It was only left for Allison, who replaced Fowler in the shooting position to put the final touches on the victory and pushed the Sunshine Girls to their highest score of the series.
— Sherdon Cowan