Borrego spurs T-birds to crucial victory over Evering's Tactix

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (CMC):

Carla Borrego outdid herself and reigning champions Adelaide Thunderbirds kept their faint play-off hopes alive, with to a 59-56 victory over the Canterbury Tactix in the ANZ Championship yesterday.

The Jamaican goal shooter had easily one of her best days under the hoops for the season, when she scored 44 goals from 48 attempts, as the T-birds kept their nerve to repel a late charge from their New Zealand-based opponents.

The result meant that the T-birds now have eight points and have moved to sixth in the 10-team table, while the Tactix, whose line-up includes Jamaican defender Kasey Evering, remained ninth on two points.

The victory also maintained the T-birds' perfect overall record against the Tactix, with a fourth straight success in an abrasive battle, which featured a staggering 169 penalties.

Well in control after three periods, the Thunderbirds were forced to fend off a late-charging Tactix, whose typically slow start in each quarter cost them dearly in the end.

The home team enjoyed more goal attempts, but Borrego proved her class with an inspirational performance under the hoop.

Possession was equally split in the first period, but Borrego and goal attack Erin Bell gave the T-birds a 17-15 edge.

Borrego and Bell continued to pot goals at will in the second quarter and the T-birds skipped to a 35-26 lead at half-time.

Looking to block the easy path to Borrego, Tactix re-jigged their defensive combination with goalkeeper Evering and goal defence Anna Galvan paying the price with bench time.

Borrego and the T-birds, however, weathered the storm and coasted to a 50-41 lead at the end of the penultimate quarter.

In a tense final session, both sides continued to hack away at each other, but the T-birds, particularly Borrego, remained unflappable and got the victory.