Gems swept by Northern Ireland

The Bajan Gems lost 55-45 in the third Test against Northern Ireland Warriors on Tuesday evening at the Sir Garfield Sobers Gymnasium, conceding the three-match Paradise Cup series 3-0. Barbados trailed by one after the first period, 14-13. Northern Ireland expanded the lead to five, 27-22 at halftime. At the end of a competitive third, it was 41-35 Warriors.

Notwithstanding the series sweep to 11th ranked Northern Ireland, the head coach of the 15th ranked Gems told Barbados TODAY that there were a lot of positives to take away from the experience. Denise Alleyne said that it was important that young players in particular get exposure to matching up against more seasoned players.

“The biggest takeaway from the Northern Ireland Test series for me was the introduction of the new young players,” she opined. “Especially ones that came forward from the Under 21, and just having a glimpse of what the future of netball could be.

“I was so very proud of their performance, even the ones who only played for a quarter. They went on and gave 100 per cent. So it gave me some hope, because as you know the team does have a mix of older and younger players, and then there are some in between who would have been Under 21 nationals just a couple of years ago, so it is a good mix.”

Alleyne explained that tournaments like this one are important to blood the younger players. She said that was pleased with what she saw from some of her young charges. Specifically, she noted the commitment and effort shown by some of the players just to be able to contribute to the team effort.

“I did see a lot of individual improvement, in terms of player development both on and off the court,” she insisted. “The girls play with a lot of heart. I knew that it would have been a challenge – I did believe that we could have won at least one of the games, I don’t think Northern Ireland is 20 or 30 goals better than we are.

“But you know, we had circumstances with injuries and stuff, and we also had situations where people had to go to work and then hustle to get there for the game in the evening time, so that too would have played a part in how rested and prepared people were for the game on the night. But it is a circumstance beyond our control.”

For their part, the visitors said that one of the main areas of adjustment was the pace of the Bajan game. Alleyne told Barbados TODAY that her girls were comfortable with the style of play employed by their opponents, many having played against international opposition previously. She admitted that getting the young ones up to speed will be “a long process. But we’re going to take it one series at a time.”

Alleyne held her debrief with the team on Tuesday night after the game, stressing the value of training as a unit. She emphasised, though, that the young Gems are enthusiastic and eager to learn and grow.

Three young athletes were given their opportunity to make senior debuts for the Gems. Goal attack / goal defence Azaria Alleyne was a member of the team that won the Jean Pierre Caribbean Under-16 Tournament in 2023. She was also part of the squad that was victorious at this year’s World Youth Netball Qualifiers in Guadeloupe.

Wing attack Shanita Callender was captain of that latter group, which also included defender Kezia Watts. All three made their first appearances for the main team.

For the first time in three matches, Barbados was within nine shots of their opponents, 65-56. The Northern Irish outshot Barbados for the first time in the series, 84.6 per cent to 80.4 per cent. Latonia Blackman was 20-21 (95.2 per cent); six-footer Damia Walrond converted 17-20 (85 per cent); and Jada Smith made 8-15 (53.3 per cent).

Alleyne explained to Barbados TODAY that whereas players are encouraged to take quality shots, there is also a constant need to ensure that shooters get the ball. She said as well that the Gems were deficient in rebounding in the circle and protecting the ball in the centre court, two aspects of the game that cost them.

“The fact that we were turning over our centre passes in the early parts of some of the games would also give them more attempts than us,” she admitted. “So we needed to keep possession of the ball a little longer, and get it to the circle. So while we had equal possession in terms of the passes, we were turning over the balls around the circle and in the circle without getting off a shot.”

(TF)