Sunshine Girls grind out 55-49 Group B win against Uganda in Glasgow

Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls secured a tough Group B triumph over Uganda at the Commonwealth Games Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, yesterday, though head coach Sasher-Gaye Henry-Wright insists the side still has substantial ground to cover. The Jamaicans, widely tipped among the medal contenders, closed out a 55-49 result for their second success in three tournament matches, bouncing back from their loss to New Zealand in the prior fixture.

Jamaica opened slowly and sat 15-12 behind after the opening quarter. The fourth-ranked Sunshine Girls — two spots clear of Uganda globally — then seized control in the second quarter, posting a 17-10 edge to go into the break ahead 29-25.

The third quarter was tightly contested, with both sides scoring 14 goals as Jamaica held its four-goal advantage and led 43-39 entering the last period.

Experienced goal shooter Romelda Aiken-George topped Jamaica’s scoring with 39 goals from 42 attempts. Rhea Dixon, who opened at goal attack ahead of Shanice Beckford, contributed nine from 12, and Beckford entered later to convert three of four.

Henry-Wright said she was dissatisfied with how the team played as a whole, even while welcoming the result.

“We spoke about the things that we wanted to accomplish before this game. But I think we started out flat and I thought, in our warm-up, we were not sharp enough and we brought that into the game. But despite that ugly win, we are grateful for the win and that is good for us,” said Henry-Wright.

She pointed to progress since the New Zealand defeat, especially fewer turnovers, but said the squad still missed its customary edge.

“There are some improvements from the last game; we had less turnovers in this game compared to the previous game. But, really and truly, we were not sharp and that is what affected this game,” Henry-Wright said.

Attention now shifts to hosts Scotland in Jamaica’s next Group B assignment tomorrow. Henry-Wright said the side will use its rest day for physical recovery and a close look at the Uganda performance before that meeting.

“We now have to recover and go over the analysis and get ready for Scotland, because that game is going to be a tough encounter for us. So we are going to use our rest day on Tuesday to do a total analysis and ensure that the girls get a proper recovery, and just go through some plays in different areas of the court,” she said.

The win left the Sunshine Girls leading Pool B on four points, level with New Zealand, who have contested one fewer goal. Uganda sit third, also on four points from three matches, and have not yet met New Zealand.