NWU-Pukke showcased their determination and grit with a close 48-44 victory against Kovsies at the Callie Human Hall in Bloemfontein on Monday, 25 September.

The contest was evenly poised at 43-43 in the fourth quarter as Kovsies fought back after trailing at half-time.

Rieze Straeuli (Kovsies) and Jessica du Plessis (NWU-Pukke) were the two outstanding players for both sides, with Du Plessis taking the best shot award after an extremely competitive 60 minutes.

Kovsies conceded too many penalties in general and their lack of composure were their undoing in critical stages.

Pukke took an early 6-0 lead as they stamped their authority on the match from the get go. Kovsies though fought back impressively to narrow the gap to two points in front of their home crowd.

The visitors were undeterred and continued on their merry way leading 12 -8 after the first quarter and extending their lead to 25-19 at half-time.

NWU’s Romé Dreyer was once again in scintillating form in the middle of the court as she found her teammates with precision passing. This made it easier for Anja Esterhuizen and Du Plessis to shoot important goals.

Kovsies’ Maryke Coetzee also had a good game defensively and made it difficult for Pukke to keep their ascendancy.

The ladies from Potchefstroom were also impressive in defence with Monique Reyneke and the ever dependable, Zandré Erasmus putting in impressive performances.

Pukke now finish on top of the table and will face Kovsies again next week in the semi-finals.

Read more about the upcoming semi-final matches in this week’s Potchefstroom Herald.

Photos: Asem Engage