SIMPHIWE NHLABATHI
UP-Tuks varsity netball team is yet to be defeated after their performance this season.
UP-Tuks started off with a bang when they played defending champions Kovsies. They won the game 54-48. This first win set the ladies from Pretoria on a winning streak.
Their second win came against Maties, where they cruised to a 62-34 win. UP-Tuks started powerfully and by the first break they were 15-4 up. They continued playing well and by half-time they were already 35-15 ahead. The ladies didn’t stop there as they went into the final break leading 47-27. In the final quarter UP-Tuks held on and eventually won the game in good spirit.
UP-Tuks continued with their form and put 84 points past Vaal University of Technology (VUT), who responded with 22 points of their own. They came out the stronger of the two in the opening stages of the game, taking the lead before the first break. VUT tried their best to keep the ladies at bay, as they went into the first break 14-13. UP-Tuks came out in the second quarter taking a lead of 41-13 before the half-time break. In the third quarter they stretched their lead even further and went into the last break leading 64-19. In the last quarter the ladies put another 20 points past the VUT defence, cruising to another victory.
The fourth consecutive win for UP-Tuks came against the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) Madibaz team. The teams threw everything at each other but UP-Tuks were able to take an 11-8 lead into the first break. The second quarter was just as intense as UP-Tuks remained dominant and stretched their lead to 26-13 by the half-time break. By the final break, the ladies from Pretoria had a comfortable 44-20 lead and went on to win the match 59-25.
The fifth win for UP-Tuks was against UJ when they scored their highest score in the tournament. They won the match 98-26, with Nthabiseng Mothusi saying after the game, “My team is the best, we are like a family. We don’t disrespect our opponents and we prepare for every opponent the same way. I have faith in my team that we are going to go all the way. We are going to win the Varsity Netball.”
NWU-Pukke was the next victim as they suffered their first defeat to UP-Tuks. They lost 61-39 to UP-Tuks, which handed the Pretoria side a home semi-final. The semi-final will be played against Maties, who have already suffered defeat at the hands of UP-Tuks earlier in the season.
The ladies from Pretoria will be hoping for another win, which will see them play in the final.
The semi-final will take place on Monday 13 October at 18:45.
UP-Tuks varsity netball during a break. Image: up.ac.za
