It was a third quarter to remember as Carrisa Ramdial, the smallest person on the court, hit 5 threes and scored 21 points in the third period to give the national under 17 team the permanent lead as they came away 58-49 winners over the more experienced Defence Force in Maloney on Tuesday evening.
And yes, Defence Force may have a bench depth of just three players, and yes, players like Jodi Sprott were missing, but Defence Force is Defence Force, and the under 17 girls deserve all the credit they deserve for the win.
Ramdial scored 25 points in total, and if the scoresheet allowed the officials to record assists, she would have also led the team in assists, as she proved that she is as good as any point guard in the country, and I mean male or female, junior or senior.
The first half was close, as the Defence Force held a 4 point lead into half-time. But the third quarter, Ramdial exploded like a time bomb, as she single-handedly outscored Defence Force 21-13, as the national team ended the third quarter with a 44-33 lead.
The experienced CrystalAnn George led all scorers with 28 points, as she summoned all of her experience to keep Defence Force in the hunt, but it wasn’t enough as the National Under 17 team, begin the 3 match series with a win. On Wednesday, they will face a select team, that will be made of some national senior players.