Bartercard Surrey Storm welcomed Team Bath in Friday night VNSL action as the race for top 4 continues for these two sides. In their last encounter Storm walked away with a 62 – 58 victory on the road to shock the VNSL fans showing they mean business this season.
Team Bath with a slightly different outfit compared to the last match up as Phumza Maweni has been back in the squad and looked to face her old teammate VNSL leading scorer Peace Proscovia.
Team Bath would start from centre pass and Sophie Lewis-Drakeford would find the net first. Kim Borger would follow up with three of her own as Team Bath shoot out to a 4-goal lead.
Storm through court struggle as Team Bath defence is locked in from the start. 3 minutes into the game Storm finally feed Proscovia Peace to get Storm rolling. Now settled into the game Austin and Parsons get to circle edge as Bath lead 4-7.
The length and athleticism of Phumza having an effect as one of the first to match that of Proscovia Peace’s this season.
Halfway into the quarter Team Bath take a 5-goal lead before Frankie Wells knocks one down from range and Storm up their intensity to chip away at the deficit as the difference reduced to 2 with 3 minutes to go in the opening quarter.
Layla Guscoth puts a stop to the momentum of Storm deflecting passes into the shooting circle as the quarter finished 11-15 in favour of Team bath.
Storm makes a change to begin the 2nd quarter as former Team Bath Chartie Curtis replaces Grace Sullivan at GD.
Team Bath begins the quarter stepping on the gas as the away side extend their lead to 8 goals.
Confidently in control of the game Bath continue to grit their teeth and fight for every ball. CP defence making all the difference for Team Bath so far in the game preventing the Storm offense to flow.
Storm look to change the game as Niamh Cooper comes off for Abi Robson with 5 minutes to go and Emma Magee switches for Frankie Wells. Storm head to the locker room down by 9 goals 22-31.
Neither team make a change to start the 2nd half as coaches trust the 7s on the floor to continue where they left off. Team bath double up on Peace as Storm locate Emma Magee to find the net.
After an intercept from Mikki Austin Storm work hard to get the game back within 7 goals. A blow to for Team Bath as Imogen Allison exits the game due to injury and Shaw replaces.
It would be a big task to bring the game back in the final quarter, but the Storm girls came out ready to give it a try chasing the 12-goal deficit.
Team Bath looks confident throughout the final quarter and continue to apply the pressure as Phumza flies for an intercept and Kim Borger takes a 1 handed catch at the other end and Team Bath lead 37 – 53.
Storm in unfamiliar territory being in this position in the 4th quarter, commit unforced errors with Bath punishing each one of them.
Team Bath takes a 41 – 66 win with a player of the match performance from Phumza Muweni. The South African was a wall at the back giving Proscovia Peace a tough challenge for the full 60 minutes.
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