WEST GAMBIER 58 d EAST GAMBIER 37
REIGNING Western Border netball premiers West Gambier make a habit of starting strongly.
Saturday was no exception when its 18-8 goal opening quarter set a tone for the Roos’ Round 8 clash with East Gambier.
The task for the Bulldogs was not made any easier with the absence of star defender Bo Creek.
That saw Morgan Amy move out to goal defence and Sharna McKinnon take the goal keeper bib.
West shooter Sarah Ritter, fresh from her selection in the SA Country Championships Top 10, netted 15 from 17 in a stunning opening quarter performance.
She backed that up with 16 from 19 in the second and 12 from 14 in the third, before the tough conditions made for more difficult conversion in the final stanza.
It was not just the opening quarter which the Roos dominated, with the half-time advantage sitting at 20 before extending to 28 by the final change.
East did salvage something with a final quarter win to trim the final margin to 21, but it was too little, too late.
Ritter’s dominance in attack did not come without help, complemented by some outstanding delivery from Lisa McGregor.
The hard running of Tara Bryant also aided the cause, as she dominated the mid court with her sweeping drives and accurate feeding.
East had limited scoring opportunities as Bryant and Zoe Malseed pressured the Bulldogs’ feeders, while Amy Cram and Jade Ritter denied East goalers Renee Henke and Casey Horrigan any easy ball.
Both East goalers made the most of their limited opportunities but when the opposition generates 75 opportunities compared to their 54, the margin is going to be hefty.
Henke had a perfect opening quarter with seven from seven, while Horrigan came into her own in the final quarter as she found space and netted nine from 12.
Eliza Cole, a new face in the East line-up for 2023, has started to make the wing defence role her own and she was again in East’s best.
