The Columba goal shoot turned and slotted her shot with ease — as she did for most of the game — starting her team’s third-quarter rampage.
Columba led St Hilda’s by only two goals at halftime in the Otago secondary schools tournament final, but that all-important goal became the catalyst for its onslaught.
It went on a nine-goal unanswered run to start the third quarter, with wing attack Neve Graamans feeding some beautiful ball in to the back space, and Lucy Morrison and Lyons punishing at the post.
St Hilda’s did a power of work in the second quarter, but unravelled in the third, with unforced errors costing the team.
It was the championship quarter that allowed Columba to run away with a 28-18 win to retain its title at the Edgar Centre in Dunedin yesterday.
St Hilda’s started strongly, going up by two early in the first quarter.
Once Columba settled in to its work, Graamans found the space on the circle edge and the team came back to lead 8-5 at the first break.
St Hilda’s came out of the break firing when wing defence Maddie Cockburn used her footwork to get a stunning outside arm tip, picked up by goal defence Perri Hore.
Shooters Josie Wither and Ella Southby helped claw the score difference back to one.
They shut down Columba’s speed on transition through court, forcing Columba to re-set at the line and go again to find an opening.
Columba regained its composure to lead 12-10 at halftime — and then put its foot down.
Holly McRae and Emilie Nicholson smothered the space in the circle and Millie MacKenzie injected speed through the middle.
Columba’s transition through court was deadly and the side had the ability to work the ball around to find the opening and lead 21-13.
McRae and Nicholson continued to be a nuisance in the final quarter. McRae took a cross-court intercept and Nicholson tipped the ball from a St Hilda’s shot — met with a loud cheer from her bench — to steal the ball.
Otago schools tournament
Section winners
Senior A section 1: Columba College
Senior A section 2: Blue Mountain College
Senior B: St Hilda’s senior B
Year 10: Columba College
Year 9: Wakatipu High School
