VUT vs. TUKS (ladies) - 2009-03-21

With both teams playing for the first time at the Grace Bible Church in SOWETO, this was going to be an interesting clash for the two Gauteng rivals. After both teams had warmed up and struggled to adapt to the slippery courts, the jump ball was blown and Vaal University of Technology (VUT) got the first ball.
The University of Pretoria (TUKS) ladies defense was flawless in the beginning restricting VUT from scoring any baskets and after the first 2minutes the score was 8-0 to TUKS who are this years’ most underestimated team.

VUT stepped up and worked hard on their defense causing TUKS to panic but with the state of the courts at that point no team had any advantage on the offense as both sides slipped and fell on cuts, fast-breaks, screens and the list goes on. Turnovers were the order of the game as both teams struggled to adjust to the nature of the courts.

Since the beginning of the league they have been concerns about the refing and in this game the refing was nothing left to be desired.

VUT killed TUKS on the rebounds both offensively and defensively. In the 3rd quarter the TUKS ladies looked like they would win the game and they played their notorious 1-2-2 defense and patient offense. This paid off as after being down more than 14 points most of the game; the score was 50-52 to VUT. One would seem that after making such a run, TUKS would go on and win the game, but after three successive turnovers the TUKS ladies looked dead in the water with no gas left in the tank. Final score: VUT 65 - 54 TUKS

Game notes: Speaking to two TUKS ladies and they both believed they could have won that game; had it not been for the refs as well as the slippery state of the courts because TUKS uses a lot of fast-breaks and cuts through the key and that the court had limited them as they kept on falling on the fast-breaks as well as on the V-cuts.

A VUT player said that she was pleased with the game and has no complaints other than the slippery court. In this game they were two injuries: A VUT player's ankle and a TUKS player's wrist.

Article written by Victor Shakineza






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