The clash between NWU and UJ was always expected to pack the heat and bring a vibrant crowd to their feet. The on-court action certainly did not disappoint as NWU were made to sweat for a 47-43 victory.

The game saw a slow start from both teams in this tightly contested duel. It was NWU who edged the scoreboard tally at the end of the first quarter (10-9). The Orange Army kept in close pursuit of their counterparts but saw the possessional stats leaning towards the ladies from Potchefstroom.

The second quarter saw NWU edging the ball stats once again while UJ would’ve hoped for a better conversion rate as they left a few goals on the court. At the break, it was NWU who remained in front (23-20).

The second half saw the seesaw battle between the two teams continue, where a vital power play was introduced in the third quarter by NWU, which both teams used well.

The fourth quarter saw the intensity lifted as both teams looked to leave it all out on the court. With just over three minutes to go in the game, UJ called for the final power play, which they capitalised well on, but they could not keep NWU from scoring goals of their own and walking away with the victory.

Quarter scores: 10-9 / 23-20 / 37-32 / 47-43

Player of the match: Caitlin du Plessis (NWU)

Defending champions Maties showed great consistency throughout their game against UFS-Kovsies to claim a nail-biting 46-43 win.

The game served as a perfect finale of the first bumper weekend. The match was a well-contested one throughout, with Maties getting the ball rolling at the conclusion of the first quarter to come out with a narrow 12-10 lead.

The second quarter followed a similar rhythm with Maties remaining on top of their game when it came to disrupting the Kovsies’ attacking moves, making vital interceptions. Kovsies did well not to allow Maties to get too far from them on the scoreboard, with the two teams settling for a Maties lead of 23-21 at the half-time interval.

Both teams opted to not invoke their power plays in the third quarter, keeping the match on a knife’s edge. Maties, featuring nine first years in their squad, concluded the quarter leading 34-31.

The final quarter was a nail-biter as Kovsies showed great courage to fight back. At the conclusion of the first power play, introduced by Maties, Kovsies had managed to claw their way back to level matters at 40-40 with three minutes left to play. The final power play came into effect in the last two minutes, where Maties were able to race off to a hard-fought three-goal victory.

Quarter scores: 12-10 / 23-21 / 34-31 / 46-43

 Player of the match: Reratilwe Letsoalo (Kovsies)